Together
by thestarkedsoldier
Summary: After the war, Steve and Peggy try to adapt to their present life, while the past continues to haunt them.
1. Chapter 1

_**Together**_

* * *

Fighting Johann Schmidt was harder than it seemed.

Upon looking at him, one may think he was a small threat, but Steve knew better. He knew what the serum did to him.

Still, the American soldier continued to fight, proving himself a worthy opponent with each attack.

After a while, he realized that to defeat the man, he couldn't use his new muscles. He had to outsmart him. Steve stepped back and fell onto the device that held the tesseract, making the little blue cube come out of the machinery. "

What have you done?" Schmidt yelled, walking over to it and grabbing it in his hands. The next thing Steve knew, that little cube that was seemingly harmless was practically tearing the man apart, and then it seemed to open some sort of portal, taking the man with it. It then burned through the floor of the plane, dropping out into the ocean soon after.

That just left the bombs to take care of.

Steve ran to the cockpit where he looked over each nozzle and switch, but it was all foreign to him. He was a soldier, not a pilot. He moved his attention to the radio, where he fixed it so he could contact the base. "This is Captain Rogers, can anyone read me?" He said, then waited patiently for a response.

"Captain Rog- Steve, is that you?" He heard her voice through the radio, and even in this situation, his heart sped up just a little bit.

"Peggy! It's me," he answered, still trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

"Where are you? Is everything alright?" Her voice was clouded by static, but he listened closely anyways.

"I'm in the middle of nowhere right now, and I think Schmidt's dead," he said, still not making sense of what exactly happened with the tesseract.

"Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing spot," she seemed to tell across the radio, and though it sounded like an order, he decided not to listen.

"I don't think there will be a safe landing spot. If this thing reaches the mainland, a lot of people are going to die," he explained, but she was not taking the hint.

"I'll get Howard on the line, he'll know what to do," she continued, and he could hear the sound of a chair moving.

"There's not enough time," he started. "I gotta put her in the water."

It was silent for a few moments, but it was filled soon after. "Steve Rogers, don't you dare do this to me," she responded, and from her tone, he could tell she was upset.

"There's nothing I can do, Peggy," he tried to explain, but she was not having any of it.

"There has to be a way. There is always a way," she continued, and he could hear commotion throughout the room she was in.

"There isn't. It's okay. The world will be fine without Steve Rogers in it," he chuckled sadly, trying to make it easier.

"Perhaps the world will be fine, but I won't." He couldn't think of anything to say in response. "Give me your coordinates," she demanded, breaking the silence.

"Peggy-"

"Give. Me. Your. Coordinates." She ordered, and after a few moments, he complied. Still, there was no stopping the plane that was now nosediving into the water below.

"Peggy, listen-"

"No, you listen. You cannot die on me now, do you understand?"

Silence.

"I do not know what I would do if you were to die."

He smiled.

"I love you, too."

Silence.

"Aren't you going to say it back? It could be the last thing I hear," he smiled, though he focused on the approaching waters.

"Get back here and I'll tell you."

He smirked, then moved away from the seat. "You got it."

As he struggled to climb his way to the back of the plane as it crashed, he kept his thoughts focused on her. When he jumped from the back of the plane to the ice below, her voice kept telling him to press on. When the ice underneath him cracked and he fell into the frigid water, it was her words telling him to keep moving. She was telling him to live.

Still, when the water made it impossible for him to move, he knew he was going to die there, without hearing her tell him how she felt.

He would have died there, too, if it weren't for the boat that fished him out.

In a few short hours, he was back by the mountains, thick blankets wrapped around his shoulders. He could hear the sound of boots hitting the metal floor, and he knew what to expect. "Colonel, I'd like to personally-," he stopped as he turned around, his gaze meeting that of Peggy's. "Peggy."

She didn't smile, or even seem happy to see him. Instead, she looked at him as if he had hurt her. "Don't you ever do that to me again," she said, her voice sounding more hoarse than before. He nodded, letting the blankets fall off of him as he walked towards her, and soon, her arms were wrapped around his neck, and he held her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Pegs," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"Just don't do it again," she said in response, holding him just a bit tighter. After a bit, she moved away, looking him over. He had a few small cuts and bruises, but it was his temperature that scared her. "You're as cold as ice," she observed aloud, slipping away to grab the blankets and drape them back over his shoulders. He slipped his hands in hers, smiling down at her. If she'd ask, he'd blame it on the cold. She didn't seem to mind.

"You never said it," he said after some time, still looking down at he with a smile.

"Said what?" She asked, looking up at him with a curious expression.

He didn't answer, just simply stared at her, raising an eyebrow after a while.

"Oh," she looked to the left, a faint blush rushing to her cheeks.

"Oh?" He repeated, though his smile didn't fade for a second.

She rolled her eyes, then moved his still cold hands around her waist, moving closer to him so the blanket wrapped around the both of them. "I love you too, you crazy soldier," she finally said, looking up at him with a smile. They stood like that for a few moments before she spoke up.

"You can kiss me now, if you'd like."

He seemed to like that just fine.

* * *

_**A/N: Hello, and welcome to the story! **_

_**First of all, I do not own these characters or the events surrounding them, the only thing I own is the writing itself and the plot. The rest of the credit goes to Marvel, and the brilliant writers that brought these characters to life. **_

_**For many, this is not your first time reading, and you may have noticed the changes in the writing. This has been updated since it's original posting, which was only a five chapter story, but obviously, it isn't that anymore. The plot has not been changed, but things have been tweaked to fit the plot I have running now.**_

_**I've always wondered what it would be like if Steve never went down with the Valkyrie, and what would happen. Would Steve and Peggy stay a couple? Would Steve still work for the SSR, or more accurately, SHIELD? How would it affect the outcome of the world if Steve never made it to the future? How would that change the events that we know are set in stone, like.. the Winter Soldier, perhaps?**_

_**This story is basically the answer to those questions, among many other ones. This is what I believe would happen if Steve were to survive the crash, and live his life in his own time. **_

_**This is rated T for many reasons, including violence, and other things that I won't spoil! However, it's very mild, and I will put a warning before every T-rated part. Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!**_

_**-June (your author) x**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Together**_

* * *

Recovering from the war was easier for some, but for others, it was not as simple. While many came home with serious physical injuries, all those who returned from the war suffered emotional injuries.

No one left the war unscathed.

For Steve, there were good days, and there were bad days. The first weeks after the war ended were filled with joy and celebration, but even those faded. While the world around him rejoiced, he was left to focus on those who died, and the cost victory had on the world.

Thankfully, he wouldn't go through it alone.

It was a dark night, and the streets of London were still littered with all sorts of things, left by those who celebrated. The music of the nearby bars still rang through the air, and the sounds of cheers filled his ears as he sat in the same destroyed bar as he had during the war, a glass of some sort of alcohol in his hand. It was almost an exact repeat of the night the team returned home, one member short. It was here he remembered those he lost, mainly his best friend, Bucky Barnes. There were many that died during the war, but he took his death the hardest. Here, in the only standing chair of the crumbling facility, he could remember his friend, not for the things that happened during the war, but prior to it, when things were simple and easy. When he didn't have to worry about losing his friend by some accident. He heaved a sigh, bringing the glass to his lips.

It was then that he heard the sounds of a person stepping through the glass, heading in his direction. He looked back, his eyes meeting that of Peggy's, who returned his look with a sympathetic one.

"Are you alright?" She asked, stepping towards him and placing a hand on her shoulder. Some things were different from the last time the two sat in the bar, one of them being their relationship. He gave her a nonchalant shrug, then forced a small smile on his lips. When she pulled up a chair and sat beside him, he let out another sigh and looked away.

"Actually no," he finally answered, his voice catching in his throat.

She didn't need an explanation, just an answer. "I know," she sighed as well, slipping her hand in his.

For a while, they sat like this, both dwelling on the past. He looked over at her after a while, tilting her chin up for her to look at him. "We made it through," he said, forcing a smile.

"Yes," she nodded, her painted red lips turning to form a smile. "We are quite lucky, aren't we?"

He nodded, then looked around, taking a deep breath. "In a sense, I guess we are."

She then slipped her hand out of his, placing her hands on her thighs. "Well, this has been.. Depressing, to say the least," she smiled, looking over at him. He looked back, nodding in agreement. "The war is over, Steve. We ought to celebrating," she reminded him, and he shrugged in response.

"Yeah, I guess we should be," he chuckled, then stood up slowly. "You know, you're right, the war is over. I specifically remember you telling me that you would go dancing," he smiled, holding his elbow out for her to walk with him.

She slipped her arm in his arm, draping it over him. "I said I might," she laughed, letting him lead the way out. As they stepped out of the bar and towards the one down the street where others were celebrating, Steve almost forgot that he had been sad before. She had that effect on him.

Upon entering the joyous bar, the two were taken aback by the mass of people in the room. On the dance floor, couples danced to swing music, spinning and moving to the beat. "We aren't going to start with that, are we?" Steve asked, and Peggy could only laugh at his question.

"Come on, soldier," she grabbed his hand, finding a small spot where there seemed to be no one dancing. There, she place one of his hands on her waist, and the other, she held with her own hand. She slipped a hand on his shoulder, smirking up at him. "Don't get any ideas about that hand there," She said, motioning to the hand on her waist.

He blushed faintly and shook his head, though he still wore his smile. "I would never." He began to sway slowly, in complete contrast to those around them. After a bit, she moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned his head over, moving their hands to his chest. "Are you alright?" He whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

She looked up at him, nodding slowly. "I've only just realized how lucky we are to both have made it through," she said in response.

He nodded, pressing a kiss to he forehead. "Together," he whispered, pressing their foreheads together as they swayed to the music.

In Steve's opinion, it was the best first date he had been on, and possibly the only successful one as well.

Even still, some days grew harder, especially when she was not there to make it better for him. Often he would find himself alone in his apartment, wondering what would have happened if one of them would have died during the war. It was these thoughts that kept him up at night, and these thoughts that haunted his nightmares when he did sleep.

He did not stay out of work, though. The world no longer needed Captain America, so he continued life as Steve Rogers. He kept in touch with the Howling Commandos, joining them in a game of poker on occasion. He never won, but he didn't go to win. He had never had very many friends, but he always had Bucky. Adjusting to life without his best friend was not easy, but he was finding ways to keep his mind off of the bad things, among others including spending time with Peggy. Though they never made anything official, he found himself spending the majority of his time by her side. Together, they went on many adventures, much like a couple would. Still, the two never truly made anything official, much to Steve's dismay.

"What is all of this?" Peggy asked on one mission in the middle of the night, holding her gun up to look around.

Steve shrugged. "It's just an exchange with some of associates."

"Now? Why are we on it?" Peggy still didn't understand. "I'm not complaining, but I should know what it is I am doing at this hour."

The group of men they were meeting with all gathered in front of them, and just as planned, they swapped whatever it was that Howard had asked to trade. Peggy was suspicious to begin with, but when two of the men stared at Steve more intently than the others, she grew weary. "Captain Rogers, if it is all the same to you.." She stepped beside him, glaring at the pair. "I can only imagine these men have better places to be."

"I can think of a few places I'd like to be," a darker man spoke up, smirking at Peggy. "I didn't know Howard had his lady friends do all of his dirty work for him."

If they weren't in a professional setting, Peggy would have let out a groan, but instead, she plastered a sarcastic smile on her face. "I didn't know Howard made deals with children, so I suppose we were both shocked," she shot back at him, then looked over at Steve with an irritated expression, who was now sharing the same look. She rolled her eyes, then began to walk away.

As she walked, she could hear the men behind her cat-calling her, but she didn't give them the satisfaction of a response. However, she stopped once she heard the sounds of something hitting the ground. Once she turned around, she saw the man who had made a pass at her laying on the floor, gripping his now bloodied nose. Steve eventually caught up with her, looking forward. She watched him walk ahead of her, wearing a small smirk. "Steve," she purred, smirking in his direction.

"They were disrespecting you," he shrugged, holding his hands out as if to question why she was looking at him differently.

Peggy chuckled as they walked back. "I could have handled them," she nodded. "But thank you."

He looked down at her, smiling softly. "No one should treat you like that."

"Well," she let out a bitter laugh. "They will regardless. If I didn't think I could handle that, I wouldn't have joined the army in the first place."

Steve still shook his head. "As long as I have anything to say, you won't have to deal with that."

"What a gentleman," she smirked, then looked forward with a smile. "You are one of the special ones, Steve. I must be one lucky woman."

"Why's that?" He asked, looking down at her.

She chuckled. "I have quite the protector."

He nodded slowly. "That is true."

She narrowed her eyes, biting her lip. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he nodded seriously.

"Why did you take me on this mission?"

He thought about it for a moment. True, he had worked with her many times in the past, and she was the perfect partner, but what more than that? He took a deep breath. "I figured you might want to come. You're a good partner."

"I'm flattered," she smiled, then crossed her arms. "I should say the same for you. You are a good partner. I suppose one could even say you were the right partner." She raised her eyebrows at him, sending a flirtatious smirk in his direction.

He looked over at her with a small smirk, then looked ahead with a smile. "One could say the same about you."

She smiled to herself, then nodded. "I suppose one could."

Steve looked at her as they walked back into where they were stationed, looking at the empty rooms. "Maybe, if you're free, we could go get a bite to eat, or get a cup of coffee or-"

"Steve, it's one in the morning," Peggy interrupted, chuckling softly.

"Right, um.. I just thought maybe-"

"How about tomorrow night?"

Steve stared at her for a moment. "Dinner?"

She shrugged. "Just you and I."

He blinked a few times, then leaned back, understanding what she meant. "I thought it was my job to ask you on a date."

Peggy threw her coat over her shoulder, then gave him a look. "You took to long, Captain. Tomorrow night, eight o' clock on the dot. You pick the restaurant." She walked out of the building, smirking to herself.

"You got it," he nodded, but as she walked out, his smile grew, and he couldn't help but throw his coat on excitedly and walk out of the door. He wasn't headed home, though.

He had a date to plan.

* * *

_**A/N: In a story titled 'Together', do I honestly have to give a warning about the sap in it?**_

**_This is a recreation of the chapters before, however, the review responses will always remain. :)_**

**_Reviews:_**

**_nepomon: Oh, I completely agree. Any Steggy I find is all angsty or depressing, and personally, I just want something that's cute and fluffy with just a bit of drama, and so, this was born! Hopefully this is what you're looking for, and I hope this supplies you with the needed Steggy feels!_**

**_JuliaAurelia: Thank you, hon! I love it too, Steggy and WinterWidow are my two dinosaur OTPs, of course! Thanks for leaving a review! _**

**_Thank you!_**

**_-June x_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Together_**

* * *

On record, it stated that Steven Rogers and Margaret Carter had been romantically involved since the rescue mission that saved him from dying in the plane crash.

If one were to ask Steve, he would say that they were nothing official until much later, and then add that he was oblivious to those sort of things, and that he wasn't the ideal source to turn to for the situation.

If one were to ask Peggy, she would say that they had been together for quite a long time, and that frankly, it was none of their damn business.

In truth, they had been together for almost six months. It had been six months since the catastrophic crash, and six months since the two admitted to the feelings they had developed during the war. To many, this would seem like quite some time, but to the both of them, it felt like mere days in comparison to the time they spent together while the war raged on.

Though the both of them were busy between Peggy's new position as the co-head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Steve's many missions, they managed to find the time to spend at least a few nights of the week together. On occasion, they would eat at a local restaurant or even go dancing, but most nights were spent at one of their small apartments in Brooklyn. Though it was difficult, they did their best to spend as much time together as possible.

On a night planned out for a dinner date, Steve picked her up at eight o' clock on the dot, just as he always did. Typically, he would ride his motorcycle, mostly because it was easier to find a place to park, but also because of the space between them, or lack thereof. This time, though, he borrowed a car from Howard Stark himself.

"A Stark car, hmm?" Peggy asked as she walked down the stairs from her living quarters, her hand tightly clasped in his. "Can't I treat my girl to a nice night?" He asked with a small smirk, opening the door for her as they approached the car. Once he was settled, he drove to a restaurant, one that seemed far fancier than the ones they had gone to in the past.

"What is all this?" Again, Peggy pointed out, stepping out of the car before he had a chance to help. He rushed to her side and lead her inside, a wide grin growing on his lips. With each step, Peggy grew to be more suspicious, but she kept her thoughts to herself. "It's been a long time since I treated you to a nice night," he answered simply, leading her to the table reserved for them. "You know I don't need to be spoiled, Steve. I love each moment I spend with you, even if it is just a night in," she said as he pulled her chair out, motioning for her to sit. She did so with a sigh, though she still wore a smile. "I love those nights too, but I wanted to do something special for you," he explained, sitting in his own seat. She smiled over at him, shaking her head slowly. "You are too much, Rogers," she said lovingly. "I know," he responded, slipping his left hand in hers across the table.

Underneath the table, his right hand slipped into his pocket to feel the velvet texture of the box he was keeping, his heart speeding up at just the reminder of it's presence.

Despite the fear and excitement rising in his chest, he kept a safe smile on his face, and did his absolute best not to give it away. Being a trained agent, though, Peggy noticed it on the spot.

"Are you alright?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Is this some sort of way to butter me up for bad news?" She looked around before leaning in. "Is about a mission? You can tell me, Steve," she attempted, raising an eyebrow at him. "No, no, nothing like that!" Steve said quickly, retreating his left arm to his side. "No, I just.. I just really wanted you to enjoy tonight." To this, she kept her suspicions to herself, knowing there was no use in trying to get his secret out of him in public. "Well, I am enjoying myself, as I always do in your company," she said with a smile, lightening the mood.

At this, Steve's grip on the box in his pocket tightened, and he slipped it onto his lap after a bit. "Actually, Peggy, I wanted to um-"

"May I take your order?" The waitress interrupted, catching the both of them off guard.

"I- um, yes, one moment, please," Steve stammered, glancing over the menu nervously. Once they had both ordered and the woman walked away, he started again. This time, though, the sounds of loud yelling filled the room, and Steve's expression went flat.

Peggy noticed his anger, and immediately reached for his hand, smiling softly. "We can go, Steve. There's a pub down the road, we can grab a bite there. It's alright, nothing will ruin the night, I promise," she ensured him, and he sighed of defeat. He stood up and walked her out, informing the waitress to cancel their order.

As they walked towards the pub, he began to question his decision.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, rubbing his thumb across her hand. She shook her head, smiling up at him. "Honestly, Steve, it is alright. This is just fine." He sighed, looking up at the skies. "It was supposed to be a nice night," he said, pointing out the storm clouds above. She nudged his arm playfully, smirking a bit. "Don't be so dramatic, it is a nice night." He gave her a soft look, then sighed once again.

Once they reached the pub, the noise level brought a frown to both of their faces. Still, they walked in, finding a small seat for themselves in between two large groups. "Are you sure this is alright?" Steve asked loudly, giving Peggy a worried look. "Don't worry," she practically yelled back. "They'll quiet down eventually!" Unfortunately, this was not the case.

As the crowd grew, and they waited patiently for food, Steve grew restless. "Peggy, I wanted to-," he was cut off by the yelling. "I was going to tell you-," again, the noise cut him off. He grew more angry by the second, and she noticed.

"Excuse me!" She yelled, but the noise did not stop. "I said, excuse me!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, earning silence out of the crowd. "You were saying?" She motioned for him to continue, smiling proudly.

With the new attention on him, Steve froze. In his mind, he had imagined the night to run perfectly. He would take her to a nice restaurant and then take her to the Stork Club, where he would ask her to marry him after a dance with her. Now, it seemed that would not happen. He sent a wide-eyed stare in her direction, then took a deep breath. "Can we go somewhere else?" He asked politely, and she nodded quickly.

As they left, he did his best to keep calm under the pressure. It was quite possibly one of the most important nights of his life, and it was continually interrupted by the world around them. Never in his life had he wished they were the only two on the planet until then, as he walked out faster than Peggy could keep up with.

"Steve!" She called out, working her way through the crowd. He had managed to make his way out faster than she had, but soon, she was out. Still, he seemed quite occupied with his thoughts. "Steve? Are you alright?" She asked, her heels clicking on the pavement as she walked his way.

"Yeah, I'm-," he said, running his hands through his hair. "I'm alright, it's just-," above him, the sky boomed with thunder, and he looked up in anger. "Steve," Peggy said quietly, stepping closer to him. "Please don't rain, please," he begged, letting out a groan. "Steve, what is going on?" Peggy asked, taking his hand in hers. He gave her an apologetic glance, then took a deep breath.

"I wanted tonight to be absolutely perfect, since.. Since we've both been so busy, and you've been stressed out, and I wanted it to be perfect," he sighed, frowning slightly. His frown deepened as a drop of rain hit his cheek. The rain started to fall at a quicker rate, and she dragged him under an awning to protect them from the rain. "What is it?"

It was then that he chose to give up. "Nothing," he finally said, pulling his jacket off and wrapping it around her shoulders. It was wet, but she accepted it no less. "Liar," she responded, pulling his jacket closer to her. "No, honestly, it's nothing. Let's go, I can take you home." He turned, starting to walk in the rain.

She glanced at him as he walked away, narrowing her eyes at him. She began putting pieces together, the nice dinner, his stress, it made sense to her. "Steve!" She called out, running in the rain with his jacket over her head. He stopped and turned to her, holding his arms over his head.

When she reached him, she let the jacket drape to her shoulders, knowing she was already soaked, and there was no point in blocking it anymore. She didn't say anything for a while, except for a few words to keep him from dragging her back to the awning. "Wait," she said, glancing at his pocket. Once she had the assurance she needed, she let out a small laugh, shaking her head slowly. "What?" Steve asked, stepping closer to her.

"Marry me," she smiled up at him. "Will you marry me?"

To this, he stared at her with wide eyes, unsure of what to say. The rain poured around them, but he barely seemed to notice at that moment. Just when he had given up on his plan, she once again made him rethink his choice. Now, she was taking matters into her own hands. For a while, he couldn't think of a response, so he stared at her until he could find his words again.

"Steve?"

He shook his head, coming out of his trance. He took another second to process what was happening. When he did, he smiled.

"I thought I was supposed to ask you that."

Her smile widened, and she shook her head at him. In a few swift movements, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him, to which he lifted her up and spun her, smiling into the kiss.

She leaned back a few moments later, giving him a curious look. "Was that a yes?"

He nodded quickly, smiling once again. "Oh, yeah, of course."

With that he kissed her once again, while pulling the box out of his pocket. She eventually parted to look at it, then smiled up at him. "I knew you were going to," she confessed, biting her lip in anticipation. "Did you?" He asked, taking her hand in his and putting the ring around her finger, being especially careful with it in the rain. Once it was on her finger, she nodded, kissing him once again.

Though the most of the night did not go to plan, he did keep one thing. As they stood in the rain, he took her hands in his and began to dance in the rain.

To the both of them, it was the perfect night despite the troubles.

Unfortunately, it was also the perfect opportunity for the specific onlooker to find their weakness, and devise a plan that very night.

* * *

_**A/N: I always pictured Peggy being the one to propose. I don't know why. Thanks to all of my loyal readers! :)**_

_**-June x**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Together**_

* * *

Life around the Carter residence was quiet, for the most part. Each morning was a routine: Wake up, stretch, get dressed, and walk out to find Steve sleeping soundly on the couch. She'd offer her bed for him to sleep on, but each time, a blush would rise to his cheeks, and he would slowly shake his head, insisting that he would sleep soundly knowing she was comfortable. She would respond with a smirk and a statement that would deepen his blush, just because she loved the sight of him embarrassed. She would wake him up with a kiss, and once he was awake, he'd return it with a smile. "A fella could get used to this," he'd respond, to which she would simply shrug. It had been four months into their engagement, and each morning seemed to be exactly the same.

This morning, however, it was a different type of quiet. Peggy woke up and stretched according to her routine, then slipped into her typical work attire. When she walked out, though, Steve was not there for her to wake up. "Steve?" She asked into the silence, but with no response. _Perhaps, _she thought, _he left on a mission. _It was not uncommon for him to have an agent stop by at the most inconvenient times with a mission, and it was not uncommon for him to leave at random times. If he did leave, though, he would always leave a note for her, telling her when he would be back. She walked about, searching for his letter, but after a few minutes with no luck, she gave up the search and headed to work.

She wore her ring around her neck, letting it fall under her blouse. Though they were not ashamed of their relationship, they did keep it secret for good reason. The few people that knew found out on their own accord, and they were sworn to secrecy. As Peggy walked into the building where she worked, she checked that the ring was safely tucked under the white fabric, then walked into her partner's office with a serious look on her face. "Howard."

"Carter! It's about time you showed up, I was beginning to wonder if I would need to find a replacement for you," he began to rant, and she began to replace his words with her own thoughts. Where could Steve have gone, anyways? He wasn't due for another mission for another few days, and he would never leave without a warning. Even if he were to leave on short notice, he would never forget to tell her what happened.

"Peggy? Peggy!" Howard called, making her snap out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?" She responded, earning an exasperated groan from the billionaire.

"Did you hear any of what I just said?" He asked, but she quickly shook her head.

"No, but I did not come here for any of our 'conversations', though really, I do enjoy them," she said sarcastically, walking towards his desk. "Did you send Steve out on a mission?" Her heart thumped loudly against her chest as she spoke, knowing how it must have come across. Of course, she did not care what her partner thought of her, but she knew if anyone more were to find out about them, _especially _Howard, it could end the secrecy.

"No?" He answered, glancing at the calendar on his desk. "He's not scheduled yet."She looked out of his office at his response, hoping to find Steve walking about. "He's most likely just late," Howard continued, standing up and walking around his desk. "How's it going between you two, anyways?" He asked as if he was a close friend of hers, to which she turned and glared at him.

"Let's keep our conversations purely business related, Stark," she said almost too quickly. "And my personal life is _none_ of your business."

He raised his hands in the air as a sign of surrender, but his signature smirk was still plastered on his face. "Alright, alright. When you find him, tell 'em to get his star-spangled butt in my office. He owes me mission reports," he changed the subject, though his expression showed he was not done with questioning her quite yet.

"He was finishing them la-," she stopped herself, careful to not reveal any more information to him as she already had. His smirk grew, however her glare deepened as well. "I will let him know," she said as she walked out, shutting the door before he could add to his statement.

She returned to her office and did her best to focus on work, but her mind was far beyond S.H.I.E.L.D for the time being. Where had he gone off to? The lingering question remained in her mind as she tried to work. After an hour or so, she sighed of defeat and grabbed her coat, informed Howard she was calling in a day, and left. If no one knew where he left, she was determined to find him on her own accord. She put her jacket on and walked down the streets, headed back to her home.

As she walked, she noticed the amount of people shifting their gaze in her direction. She was never one to care who was watching her, unless it was a threat. In fact, often, she brought more attention onto herself, just by the way she held herself. This time, though, it was an unsettling feeling that ran through her. Why were they looking her way, and what was it that caught their attention? As she examined herself, she ran into a person, making her stop on impact. "My apologies, I-"

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, lady," the man responded, staring at her with widened eyes.

"Excuse me?" She narrowed her eyes and stepped back, staring back at him with wide eyes.

"You're lookin' for someone who is gone. There's no one to find. No one to look for. No one. There's no one," he spat out, his voice shaking. He looked around nervously, striking her interest even more.

"Steve," she said under her breath. "You know where he is." The man began to nod, and she placed a hand on his shoulder abruptly. "Tell me now," she threatened, pushing him forward with force.

"I-I can't tell you, but you – you can't look for him, you can't find him, you can't-.. You can't," he shook as her grip tightened.

"Tell me."

His eyes darted back and forth between a building and her, and on instinct, she looked as well. "Rogers, you.. You want Rogers, but he's gone, he's taken, he's-"

_Bang._

Peggy watched helplessly as the man feeding her information fell to the ground, blood flowing from his head to the concrete. Screams filled the sound around her, and she looked up to the building one last time before running off. She could not see the killer, but she could see the flash of silver that must have been the gun. She ran off the streets, her eyes darting back and forth. She had to find a safe spot, but where? Steve was gone, and there was no place she knew to be safe enough to devise a plan. Not even her home was safe. What was happening?

She stopped at a busy street, working her way into a crowd. As she maneuvered through people, she tried to think of her next step. The most important fact was that Steve had been captured, but by who? Where? She did not know where to start looking, or if there was even a place to begin. Whoever it was that had him, they did not want to be found. There was a dead man that now proved that. As she slipped out of the crowd, she continued to walk around until she stopped at a brick building, biting her lip nervously before walking up and knocking on the door. The sounds of the locks unlocking made her almost sigh in relief, though it was taking longer than she would have liked. The door soon swung open, and without even a proper hello, she walked in.

"Carter?" She heard behind her, but she had already begun pacing. "Peggy, stop!"

She felt firm hands on her shoulders, and she stopped and stared at the man in front of her. "What's going on?"

She paused for a moment before letting out a sigh and explaining. "I-I don't know, Gabe, I don't know, and I do not like not knowing," she said all too quickly, her breathing quickening.

"Alright, sit and explain," Gabe Jones, a former Howling Commando, motioned to a chair with a confused expression.

She took it, taking a deep breath. "Steve's gone missing," she started, sitting at the edge of the seat. "I don't know where he is, or where I can find him, but I know he's gone. There was a man, and.. He was killed for giving me answers," she said in a hurry, her mind racing. "I can't-," she sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I can't imagine losing him now," she whispered, her hand falling to her chest, where her ring lay, shining in the light.

"I know," Gabe responded, then walked over to a closet. He pulled out a brown suitcase and opened it in front of her, looking through it. "Here," he handed over a few pieces of equipment, each object more obscure than the last.

"This," he held up a small device. "This will let you hear me at all times." She had used this ear piece before, but now it served a better purpose. As he went on to explain the rest of the items, she prepared herself for the mission at hand.

Soon, they both sat by a radio and listened closely, hoping to gain some insight on the dilemma.

"_Send the asset in," _A man with a thick German accent said.

"_Coordinates, sir," _another man responded, and Peggy sent a knowing look to Gabe. As the coordinates were relayed, Peggy loaded her gun, taking a deep breath.

"_Sir, what about the prisoner?" _The second man asked, though static interrupted him.

"_We-" _Static. _"No use to us.. Freeze him-.."_

Peggy decided she had heard enough after this and walked to the door, nodding at Gabe. "Go get 'em," he smiled, and she nodded quickly.

She began to run towards her destination, but a large vehicle caught her attention. Soon, she was driving down the streets, Gabe sending her directions as she went along.

Upon reaching the facility, fear began to creep into her chest. This felt almost familiar, and it was unsettling to say the least. She climbed out of the car, her gun in hand. "Where have you gone to, Rogers?" She asked under her breath, stalking towards an entrance.

She started slow, keeping her gun outstretched. With no one watching her back, she had to be more cautious than she typically would with Steve. No, now she had to be on the defense and offense, keeping both eyes open. "Check the lab or the prison," Gabe spoke through the earpiece.

"Where would that be?" She whispered, looking around cautiously.

"Check the second floor. Keep quiet, they're getting suspicious." She crouched by a corner, taking a deep breath. She took notice of the set of doors leading to the stairway and walked in that direction.

"Peg-.. Your own-.. Good luck," Gabe's voice scattered in the static, and soon, it was all she could hear. She pulled it out as she made her way up the stairs, cursing under her breath.

As she reached the second floor, the nagging fear in her chest began to grow. Sounds of screaming filled the air, but it was not Steve's. Her steps began to take longer, and her grip on her gun tightened to keep from shaking. There was no back-up, and no way out. With each scream, she winced. If she were to get caught, would she end up like the poor victim who was letting out those awful cries for help. Her heart beat against her chest as she passed the door marked _Laboratory, _and as the screams began to quiet down. Peggy did not know what was worse, the screams, or the silence. She looked ahead, her eyes catching the sign marked _Prison_. She was almost relieved to see it, knowing it could lead her to Steve. She was safe now. All she had to do was run.

_Click._

Every inch of her froze at the sound. She could feel the barrel of the gun poking at her back. She feel the person's breathing on her neck. Her eyes widened at each movement, knowing she was vulnerable. "Drop your gun," the person said. She set it down slowly, then raised her shaky hands in the air. "Why are you here?" The man asked, pressing the gun harder. For a moment, she stayed silent, contemplating what she would say. "Answer!"

"I am an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division, formerly known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve. My name is Margaret Carter, and I've come to retrieve a fellow agent of mine," she said in a hurry, closing her eyes. She could feel the gun drawing back, and she almost sighed in relief.

"Name," the man demanded, making Peggy open her eyes and stare ahead.

"Rogers," she responded flatly, trying to devise an escape plan than included her walking out with Steve.

"Steven Rogers," he responded, and she nodded, glancing at her gun.

"Yes, I've come for Steven Rogers," she said in a monotone.

In the next seconds, she grabbed the man's arm and pulled, sweeping her leg under the man's legs. She then leaned in and grabbed her gun, and had it pointed at the man's head before he could stand up. He raised his arms in surrender, his eyes widened.

"Where is he?" She knelt to his level, her stare cold and ruthless. When he did not respond, she pressed the gun harder. "I want to know where he is, do you understand me?" She said through clenched teeth.

He stared at her with an equal look of hate, slowly shaking his head.

"Very well," she stood up, taking a deep breath. He began to snicker at her quick surrender as she turned, which only angered her more. She turned to face the prison doors, then kicked back at the man, knocking him out on impact.

When she walked in, she looked around at the many glass cells, her heartbeat slowing slightly. She held her gun up, looking into each individual prison, hoping to find Steve. Each cell had a different prisoner, most of them rough looking, all of them severely injured. Peggy hoped Steve was not in this state, but it was beginning to seem like the only possible outcome. Some prisoners looked her way, sending her glares. A few stepped closer to the glass, but none threatened her. She walked past a cell, almost looking past the figure in the dark. She stopped and walked closer to the thick glass that separated them, tilting her head the figure did not move, she tapped on the glass, swallowing her fear.

When the prisoner looked back at her, her breath caught in her throat.

"Steve," she breathed, resting her hand against the glass. In a few moments, he was there as well, his hand against hers. He was speaking but she could not hear him.

"I'm going to get you out," she yelled, first looking his wounds over, then the glass.

"There has to be a way out," she whispered, her gun catching her attention. She then stepped back, aiming it at the glass. She motioned for him to move, then shot at it twice, watching the glass shatter. "Hm, you'd think that if they could capture Captain America, they would have better prisons," she muttered, then ran towards him.

She first swung his arm over her shoulder, helping him stand. "What happened?" She asked, walking over the crushed glass.

"I don't know," he answered flatly, making her even more concerned.

She walked forward, her gun in her right hand and her left helping him stand, trying her best to move quickly. "A little.. help would be _much _appreciated," she groaned, but was only given a groan in response. Something was wrong, terribly, terribly wrong. Her arm gave into his weight quickly, and he soon fell to the ground, completely unresponsive. She stared at him with wide eyes for a moment as she tried to find a solution, but there seemed to be nothing wrong with him other than his injuries. She placed her hands on his chest, preparing herself to bring him back for the time being. They had to get out of there, they had to-

"_Soldier."_

On instinct, Peggy stood up and pointed her gun at the man, her eyes widened. "What did you do?" She asked, her tone threatening. Below her, Steve stirred, letting out an involuntary groan.

"Take a deep breath."

Steve slowly stood up, causing Peggy to turn around and look him over. His once weak state seemed to disappear, and he now stood, stronger than before. The man continued to talk, and at each statement, Steve seemed more and more aware of his surroundings. "Steve? Steve, we have to go," Peggy said in a hurry.

"Will you comply?"

The scientist finished, causing Peggy to turn around, her gun still aimed. "_What _did you _do_?" she asked, her glare deepening. He raised his hands, but still wore an unsettling smirk on his face.

_Click._

Peggy froze, feeling the barrel of a gun in her back once again. This time, though, her enemy was in front of her, and Steve was behind her. She turned around slightly, just enough to see the determined, yet empty look on Steve's face, and the gun that was driving into her back in his hands. Her eyes widened at the sight, and her heart pounded in her chest as if her worst fear had just come to light.

"I am happy to comply."

* * *

**_A/N: Haha, finally the action begins! I knew this would have a lot of fluff, and some without a plot, but I figured it was time to throw action and a plot in there. Sorry for that cliffhanger, and I know that it is a really cliche move, but honestly, this whole thing is pretty cliche, so.. It fit, I suppose?_**

**_A big, big thank you to my beta _****_Zenappa_****_, because she is amazing, and she gives me ideas to add into this.. well, whatever this is._**

**_Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this! It was just a lame idea of mine, and it's nice to know other people enjoy this sort of thing. :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Together**_

* * *

_"I am happy to comply."_

The gun digging in her back made her close her eyes and lean down, setting the gun down. "Cheap trick," she mumbled, looking back to Steve for just a moment. Whatever they had done, they had done serious damage.

She glared at the man in front of her as she stood back up, raising her hands in the air. While she was still shocked at the events unfolding, she had to get her way out of the situation. She had to find a way to get Steve back, as well. "I think it's petty that you have resorted to hypnosis to get your way. Lazy, even."

"Excuse me?" The doctor narrowed his eyes at her.

"You heard me," she smirked, then tilted her head slightly. "While it was a rather dull plan, I can understand why you chose it. You wanted to hit home, I see that now. There's a flaw, though."

He put a hand on his hip. "A flaw? This is gold coming from the woman with a gun in her back."

She shrugged, motioning with her hands sarcastically. "I'm not scared of you."

He walked forward suspiciously, taking her gun from the ground. As soon as he got close enough, she swung her leg back, kicking him just hard enough to knock him out.

Steve moved to react, but before he could, she grabbed his hand and pulled back, using her free hand to hit him repeatedly in the shoulder until he dropped the gun. With his left arm, he grabbed her neck, and as if on instinct, she hit the joint of his arm, blocking his repeated attempts to hit her.

"Steve!" She shouted, kicking him in the stomach with force. While it did much damage, he grabbed a hold of her foot and twisted, forcing her to the ground. He lunged at her, but she rolled out of the way before he was able to hurt her.

"Steve, stop this," she commanded, ducking out of the way of another blow. She kicked him away from her, and stood still. "This is what they want," she held her hands out, showing that she would not hurt him.

"There is no stopping, only compliance," he hissed, stepping forward and grabbing her neck. He kept walking with her in his grasp until he reached a wall, where he pinned her to it and pushed up. She clawed at his hand, looking around for her gun. It was too far to reach, so rather, she used the strength she had left to kick him in his torso, catching him off guard. Once she had him distracted, she lifted her legs and used both of her legs to pry him off of her, then fell back on her feet, and immediately swept her legs under his, then as he fell to the ground, she picked up her gun and punched him in the temple with it, knocking him out on impact.

She looked down at him, taking a few deep breaths before walking over to grab her gun, looking around for any others. She then walked back to him, placing her hands on her hips. "Now to get out of here."

She dragged him to the doors, ignoring the others that had been locked up around her. She was no longer in the mood to entertain them, or their mocking stares. She let out a deep breath and let Steve rest against the wall, only just realizing how heavy he was. She pulled the doors open and slowly walked out, checking for others. She walked out, her gun outstretched, hoping for a smooth exit.

Of course, she wasn't given that.

A man came from her left, his fist landing on her cheekbone. She fell back at the hit, her cheek pulsing. She clutched her cheek, but struggled to her feet, only to find her attacker staring back at her through darkened goggles.

The man stood straight, his hair falling over his forehead. He wore a mask and goggles to hide his face, and he wore black from head to toe. She stared at him with wide eyes, her hand still over her cheek. His hit hurt more than any others, and his attack left her in shock.

Seconds later, he lunged at her, and though she moved out of his way, he grabbed her ankle with his left arm and swung her back with ease, making her head hit a wall. She groaned in pain, but snapped out of it as he jumped on top of her, pinning her wrists down with just one hand. With the other, he gripped her neck tightly, much tighter than Steve had. She could not cry out for help even if she wanted to.

She was going to die at this man's hands.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," an unfamiliar voice called out, and as if on cue, the assassin stood up, leaving her on the floor, desperately coughing for air. Once she was slightly recovered, she looked over at the two figures standing over her with a scared expression.

"So, I see you've found our little hideout. I can't say I'm surprised, you seem to be pretty attached to the Captain," the small figure spoke. Peggy tried to swallow, but let out a weak cough instead.

"Well," she croaked, forcing herself to stand, though she leaned against the wall. "It was not like you made it a challenge."

He chuckled, walking towards her. Her attacker stood still, his hands at his side as if he was just waiting for orders. "I wanted to see what you would do if you came. I have to admit, it was impressive. Perhaps I chose the wrong person. Where is Rogers, anyways?"

Peggy glared at him, spitting at his feet as he walked over.

He let out another laugh, then motioned for the assassin to find him. Seconds later, the dark-haired man walked back, dragging Steve behind him.

"Very good," the smaller man noted, then stepped closer to Peggy. "Isn't he impressive? Russian assassins, I have to admit, are the best, especially this one." He walked back to the assassin. "They call him the Winter Soldier. He's really quite impressive."

Peggy looked over the assassin, her expression darkening. "Why did you take Steve?"

The man clapped his hands together. "Just jumping to the point, huh?" He shrugged. "Well, if you must know, it's this guy's fault." He pointed to the Winter Soldier.

"What?"

"You see, this guy is a scientific breakthrough, much like your star-spangled boyfriend. There were ten candidates for the Winter Soldier program, and each one of them were injected with a serum much like Rogers. Only this guy survived it."

Peggy looked down to her fiance, who now lay flat on the ground beside the Winter Soldier.

"The Winter Soldier will shape a nation with his bare hands. He can start wars and end them with just one action. Society will tremble under his fingertips, and when we give the order, he can send the world into chaos. He's the perfect soldier."

"And what does Steve have to do with this?"

He laughed. "Easy. If one man can conquer nations, how much do you think we will be able to accomplish with two?"

It was as if a light bulb went off in her head.

"You plan to recreate the serum and start again with Steve."

"Bingo!" He pointed at her. "For a lady, you're pretty smart."

She pushed herself off of the wall, trying to muster whatever strength she had left. "Wait until you see what else I can do."

He laughed bitterly. "No offense, sweetheart, but you look as if you couldn't even hurt a fly. Do you expect me to believe you can actually hurt me?"

She looked around, raising her eyebrows. "I believe that is what I am implying, yes." She took a few steps forward, wobbling slightly with every step.

"You're pathetic," he laughed, placing his hands on his hips.

"Thanks, but I have heard enough." With that, she swung her fist back, punching him square in the nose. He stepped back, grabbing his now bloodied nose.

"Get her," he pointed to her. On cue, the soldier moved to attack, but she had learned his techniques.

He threw a punch, and she dodged it quickly, hitting him in the gut. Her hits had no damage, though, and he was growing irritated with time. She slipped under his arm and stepped behind him, grabbing her gun quickly. He swung his arm around and hit the gun out of her hands, then grabbed her wrist and held it against her chest. She clawed at his sleeve and pulled back, pulling off his glove in the process.

When she looked at his hand, her eyes widened.

It was made of metal.

She watched as he marked her as a target, sauntering closer to her. She was outranked, and outnumbered.

As he reached her once again, his metal hand grabbed her neck, but he then brought her closer, his arm whirring. Seconds later, she was sent back to a wall, the impact causing her to black out.

She was brought back to quickly, her first sight the red goggles. He pinned her down once again, attempting to choke her as he had before.

Just as she was about to take her last breath, he moved away, whether it was by his actions or someone else's.

She coughed abruptly and took deep breaths once again, but then looked over at the soldier.

Surprisingly, though, she saw Steve instead.

Steve managed to pull him away from her, but now as he stood in front of him, he really didn't know what his plan was. Really, all that mattered was her safety.

The Winter Soldier pulled his knife from out of his pocket and started to attack him, but Steve blocked him off at the best of his ability.

While they fought, Peggy darted across the room, grabbing a metal pole. She walked behind the soldier and waited, then slammed the pole against his head, knocking him out on impact.

Steve leaned over the soldier, his hand reaching out to the mask.

Before he could pull it off, Peggy heard steps in the distance and grabbed his hand, pulling him in the opposite direction. "We need to leave."

He nodded, then ran towards the exit. They quickly escaped, meeting Gabe outside.

They piled into the car Gabe had provided, and soon, they drove past the building, as far away as possible.

Peggy leaned her head against the window, her wounds taking their toll on her. Her entire body throbbed and ached. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked over at him curiously.

"I'm sorry, Pegs, I-," he began to apologize, but she held a hand out before he could continue. "This is not your fault, Steve. I am just glad you are alive."

He moved to sit closer to her, letting her rest on his chest. He stroked her hair softly, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Thank you."

She turned and smiled up at him, nodding weakly. "You're welcome. Next time, don't get yourself kidnapped. You had me worried sick."

He chuckled softly. "Yes ma'am," he saluted, then rested his head against the back of the car. "I love you, Pegs."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I love you too."

They both drifted to sleep in the back of the car, not thinking about the events that lead up to this, or even how they would feel later. All that mattered was that they were safe, and they were together.

* * *

_**A/N: That was really fun to write. I think this is my favorite chapter. It's so long, but eh, it was necessary. Hey, I actually put in a Bucky cameo! Yes! As if I could resist. Given that I write him in everything else, it was only a matter of time before he made his way in here. ;) Also, I am planning out more chapters, since this has really gone well, and it is such a fun thing to write. This is far from over. :)**_

_**Reviews:**_

_**JuliaAurelia: Thank you for being such a loyal reader and reviewer! You called it! You don't know how hard it was to keep that in, haha. I hope that was everything you expected, or maybe it was slightly unexpected! I try to keep everyone on their toes, but suspense is the worst genre for me to write. Thanks again! :)**_

_**Ellen: Oh my goodness, your review made my day! As a huge fan of AOS, that's the biggest compliment I've had so far! Thank you so much!**_

_**Shadowhuntingdauntlessdemigod: Here it is! Sorry for getting it to you so late, as I mentioned, I've been so busy! I hope this makes up for my tardiness! :)**_

_**And a warm welcome to all the new followers of this story! Thank you, thank you, thank you! x**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Together**_

* * *

They both returned to work two days later.

The reports of the incident had already been turned in, thanks to Peggy. Howard read the files, documented them, and stored them away for future use. He then called for the three involved in the unauthorized mission to meet for debriefing, and also to hear it from their perspective.

"So what you're telling me is that the Russians are forming an army?" Howard asked, stroking his mustache slowly.

"Yes and no," Peggy responded. "Steve was captured to further advance the Winter Soldier program."

"The what?"

"They've turned a man into the perfect weapon of mass destruction to do their bidding. Russian trained, though we are not sure of whom he works for now."

Howard paced around the room. "Do we have a name?"

"No sir," Steve answered. "All we have is a sketch." He handed over a sheet of paper with a hand drawn portrait of the Winter Soldier, or what they were able to see.

"Howard, this man could lead us to information about the Russians-"

"Peggy, you know as well as I do that we are not getting involved in Russian Affairs."

"With all due respect, we may be able to stop anything from happening-"

"Or we may make it worse."

"Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die," Steve added.

Peggy sent a glare his way. "I'm not suggesting we use him for war effort. These people kidnapped Steve in attempt to expand the program. Innocent lives may be at stake already, and as an organization founded on protection, it's our job to keep others safe. Capturing the Winter Soldier and looking into his associates may be our only chance at doing that."

Gabe nodded. "Plus, he's credited for the murder of one innocent already. We don't know if that list is longer."

"Whoever he works for knew how to get to me without making a sound or even setting off any alarms. If Peggy hadn't noticed, they no doubt would have turned me into one of their soldiers. It may be wise for us to look into his employer, as well."

Howard looked around at the three of them with a raised eyebrow. "And you really believe that looking into this is worth it?"

"Whether you approve of the endeavor or not, I am going ahead with it. It's my organization as well, if you recall," Peggy crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat.

"Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I want all of the details on my desk before you go ahead, though." Howard nodded. "Agent Jones, you're dismissed."

Gabe looked back at Steve and Peggy with a small smirk before walking out, saluting to the Captain discreetly.

Silence filled the room as Howard stared down the two of them, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Do you two have anything to tell me?"

Peggy glanced over at Steve with a sympathetic look, though she expected this from her friend and co-worker. He would be upset that she waited to tell him, but he would get over it.

"Sir, Peggy and I- Well, we're.. well-"

"We are engaged," Peggy interrupted.

Howard stared at the two of them in shock.

Peggy pulled the necklace up, showing him the ring. "We've kept it quiet for obvious reasons, however, it seems the cat is out of the bag anyhow, so there really is no point in keeping it secret."

Howard blinked a few times before a wide smile grew on his face, and he immediately walked over to Steve and patted him on the back. "Well done, pal! I always knew you two would end up together."

"No you didn't," Peggy grimaced. "If you did, that did not stop you from trying to-"

"It's in the past!" He interrupted, looking nervously over at Steve. "Besides, you two are getting married and nothing else matters! Congratulations, guys!"

"Thanks, pal," Steve chuckled, blushing at the sudden attention.

"You have to fill out this form, though," he explained. "I mean, she's a co-director, and you're a high level agent, so we have to document everything."

"Understandable," Peggy nodded, standing up. "I can have that to you by the end of the day."

Howard still wore a wide smile while walking over to Peggy. He then pulled her into a hug, chuckling to himself. She was taken aback at first, but eventually placed her hands on his arms and returned the embrace. "I'm real happy for you, pal," Howard smiled, leaning back and stepping away.

"We can all celebrate tonight, but you all have work to do, don't you?" Howard changed the subject.

"We do," Steve nodded, walking over and taking Peggy's hand.

"Thank you, Howard," she smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, get to work, lovebirds. You've got a lot of work to do."

The two of them left the room, leaving Howard alone to his thoughts.

They met up with Gabe in a conference room, files and paperwork practically scaling the walls.

"So.." Gabe set hit hat down on the table.

"Perhaps we should start with a rundown of the kidnapping," Peggy suggested, looking over at Steve.

"Alright," he took a deep breath. "I was sleeping on your couch when a man came in and knocked me out before I could react."

Gabe smirked at the two of them, earning a glare from Peggy. "Go on, Steve."

"I woke up in that cell you found me in, and they had injected me with something that was giving me a headache, and then you were there, and we were escaping, and then it was all just black."

"You started attacking me," Peggy reminded him.

"I know," he said regretfully. Just then, he perked up with a confused look on his face. "Do you think that's how it started with the Winter Soldier?"

"It's a good theory," Peggy nodded. "You both seemed to be following orders without any question. Perhaps he was injected with the same thing that you were, and they were able to work using that as a start."

Gabe raised his hand. "When you were in that state, do you remember most of what you did?"

"Bits and pieces," Steve responded. "It was early on. Peggy was all that I needed to snap out of it."

"Do you think it will be that easy for the Winter Soldier?" Gabe asked.

"That's dependent on whether or not his mind was tampered with. We cannot assume that this was not at his own hands. Before we consider how to 'deactivate' him, shouldn't we consider who exactly this man is?" Peggy added.

"Peggy's right. We don't even know what we are up against," Steve nodded, walking over to the files.

"I guess we should start looking for some answers then, huh?" Gabe smirked, pulling a box of files towards him.

"Let's do this," Peggy smirked as well, going through her own set of files.

Hundreds of examined files and hours of reading later, the three sat around the table, drifting off to sleep.

"Hey, you guys! Everyone went home, you can stop now. It'll all be there tomorrow. Drinks on me," Howard barged in, forcing them all to jump in their seats.

"I'm in," Gabe nodded, walking towards the door with his jacket in hand.

Steve glanced at Peggy with a shrug. She nodded slowly, closing the box she was currently working on. "We're in too," Steve nodded, waiting for Peggy to finish, then walking out beside her, his hand in hers.

At the bar, the four of them raised their glasses in the air, clinking them together. "To Steve and Peggy, and their engagement!" Howard exclaimed.

"And to Steve for getting such a beautiful dame," Gabe added with a wink in Peggy's direction.

"Whoa there, pal," Steve chuckled.

Peggy rolled her eyes at the three men in front of her. "I really ought to have more female friends."

Howard took a sip of his drink, finishing it in seconds. "So how is the dream team coming along?"

Peggy sipped her from her glass. "Good, actually. We've been looking through old SSR files, and we've started to put in place a few theories as to who the Winter Soldier is, who he is working for, and how they were able to form the program itself."

"What do you all need?" Howard ordered himself another drink.

"It would be nice to get a hold of some Russian files to see if there's anything on the guy," Steve shrugged.

"We could use a Russian interpreter, if we have some of those," Gabe added.

"Consider them yours. I'll be in contact with our Russian allies tonight," Howard nodded.

"Thank you, Howard. This will really help us," Peggy smiled.

"I know," he responded. "I have to go back to the office tonight, anyways. I can get you those files, and the interpreter. Consider it an engagement present."

"Thank you," Steve nodded.

"Anything for the dream team," he smirked. "Keep up the good work, you all. Drink up!"

Later that night, Howard walked into their small facility, and called the Russian allies. While they agreed on the exchange, files for money, the arrival time was uncertain. He walked into the conference room from before, and switched on the lights.

What he saw made every inch of his body freeze.

He ran back to his office, grabbing the large phone on his desk. He dialed the number he provided for Peggy, praying she would answer.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice low as if she had been sleeping.

"Peggy, it's Howard. You have to come down here."

"What is it?"

"It's the files," he took a deep breath.

"They're all gone."

* * *

_**A/N**: __What was a cameo has definitely turned into a plot, hasn't it? The Winter Soldier is going to be a major part of the story, and as much as I wish the reveal would be as shocking as it was in the theaters (at least for those who weren't expecting the Winter Soldier to be Bucky), this one won't be. However, I hope I do the character justice in here! Hang on there! It's going to be a fun ride._

_Another thing to keep in mind, I've made it so SHIELD has been formed before it's time. The SSR may have lasted longer with Steve around, but I honestly believe that he would have some input ideas of his own that changed the SSR, and everyone seemed it fit that it died with the war. I didn't really touch on that in the story, but it is important to think about._

_**Reviews**:_

_**PenPaperParadise**: Thank you so much for your kind words! It's always nice to get a nice review, it's quite refreshing. Thank you! x_

_**Shadowhuntingdauntlessdemigod**: My, your pen name is a handful! That's alright, I feel accomplished that I understand it, haha. Thank you! It was a risky move to throw Bucky in there, but I'm glad I took a swing at it. We'll see how that goes! Hahaha, I'm glad you think I'm doing good with suspense! I really try hard! I'm not very good at cliffhangers, but I try! The Iron Woman, I like it! She's pretty fantastic. I hope I'm doing her justice in this story! She's such a hard character to peg. Hahaha, see what I did there?_

_**JuliaAurelia**: You're so fantastic, haha. Your reviews never fail to put a smile on my face. I knew you'd enjoy that I put Bucky in the mix! Oh, of course! I had to tease a little bit! Don't worry, Bucky's story is far from over. Who knows, maybe the team will find him! Or, maybe he will find them! The wedding is a bit in the future, and a lot can happen in a short amount of time. ;) Thank you for reviewing and your encouragement! :)_

**_Thank you guys! _**

**_-June_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Together**_

* * *

"They're all gone."

Peggy sat up straight in the bed, holding the phone Howard had provided for her in her hand.

"What?"

Steve slowly woke up beside her, sitting up and stretching, looking over at her with concern. She gave him a stressed look, then focused back on the conversation.

"They're gone. All of them." Howard's voice sounded panicked as he relayed the new information.

Peggy moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "What do you mean, gone? There are hundreds of files, thousands even-"

"I was just there, and every one of them is missing. I think they were stolen or maybe.. I-I don't know, Pegs, but it's not there and-"

"Howard!" Peggy yelled over the phone, causing Steve to jump slightly beside her and place a hand comfortingly on her shoulder blade. "I'm coming to the office now, we can work this out." She took a deep breath, then stood up slowly, putting on her robe and setting the phone back in its place.

"Is everything alright?" Steve asked, moving to the side of the bed.

Peggy ran her hands through her hair. "The files have all gone missing," she turned around, looking at the blonde sitting on her bed. "Everything that we have disappeared."

"Okay," he nodded slowly, running his hands through his hair. "Let's go to the office, and we'll go from there."

Twenty minutes later, and the three of them stood in the conference room, staring at the empty files.

"I came back to see the room like this," Howard said, sitting at the table with his head in his hands.

"This is not your fault, Howard," Steve placed a hand on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. "We should focus on the facts. Who would take these?"

"We have many rivals around the world. There's no telling which of them it could have been," Peggy crossed her arms, looking through boxes for any sort of clue as to where the information had gone. "This was classified information. The things stored in these boxes could start wars."

"Let's not think of the extreme," Steve held his hand out, raising his eyebrows. "Try and stay focused."

"Russia," Howard spoke up, standing up quickly. "They knew we were looking into the Winter Soldier program. What if they didn't want us to?"

"It's a good theory, but how could they have gotten here?"

Silence filled the room as one man came into their thoughts. They all shared a look of concern and fear, knowing this was far over their heads.

"Would they really send him in for something like this?" Howard asked, pacing back and forth in the doorway.

"He killed a man in cold blood just because he warned me about where Steve was being kept," Peggy reminded her associate. "Whoever took our files is hellbent on keeping their confidential information confidential. This would be easy for him."

Steve seemed to shift uncomfortably to this new information. "Regardless, we have been piecing together something that we shouldn't be looking into. Maybe this is for the better."

"Are you kidding?" Peggy looked over at him. "Steve, this poses a higher threat than Hydra during the SSR days. We cannot sit idly by as our enemy continues to strike. As far as I'm concerned, this was an act of war."

"Peggy is right," Howard stepped in. "We can't let them have the advantage. Are there any known locations where the Winter Soldier could be stationed?"

"Where I was captured," Steve shrugged. "If Peggy knows how to get there."

"I do," she looked over at Howard. "This isn't a small threat, though. He almost killed me in cold blood, and whatever they have access to was intense enough to sedate and take control of Steve. This isn't something we can rush into."

"That's not going to happen again," Steve shook his head. "The Winter Soldier is nothing more than an experiment. I won't live in fear of him."

"So what's our move here?" Howard inquired.

"We strike while they don't expect it," Steve looked at the two of them with determination. "They believe we are wounded by what they've taken, and so they won't see us coming if we attack now. Peggy was right, this is war. It's our turn to hit them where it hurts."

Peggy gave him a disapproving look, though she wouldn't lie, she loved to see him in action. If anyone was meant to be a captain, it was him.

Only an hour later, troops were gathered in the main room, with Steve, Peggy, Howard, and Gabe leading them.

"Howard, you're staying here with fifteen guards. They can't get any more on us than they already have," Steve commanded, then turned to the next group of soldiers. "You all are with Agent Carter and myself. Our mission is to get into the facility and gather up any information we can, and search for the Winter Soldier. If he is found, you know what to do."

Silence filled the room as Peggy gave her fiancé an icy glare.

"As for Gabe and his team, you all are going to be stationed in a secure room in the building beside us. You are our eyes and ears. You are guiding us through the building, providing needed escape if necessary, and you will be listening through their radio to warn us of any other dangers. Everyone got it?"

"Yes," the room boomed with the response, and very soon after, they were on their way.

Once they arrived to the facility, loaded and ready for the mission, Peggy snuck by Steve. "Are you sure about this?"

He looked down at her with a reassuring smile. "I am, Pegs. This is the only thing that we can do."

"And what if we fail?" She asked, putting her hands in his. "I almost lost you last time. I don't know if I am willing to put that at risk again."

"You won't lose me, Peggy," he consoled with her, pulling her into a hug. "Think about it, every time I get myself in danger, you drag me out of it. How could you lose me?"

Peggy smiled softly, then pulled away. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right," he smirked, walking forward. "I guess that makes me the damsel in distress."

"Face it Rogers," Peggy stepped ahead, smirking back at him. "You were always the damsel in distress in this relationship."

Steve couldn't help but watch her walk towards the troops, her hips swaying confidently. His smirk grew as she turned, cocking her hip to the side ever so slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. He walked to her side, prepping the team.

"You know your orders," he called out, nodding slowly, then swung his arm back, placing his shield in front of him. Peggy walked beside him, her gun outstretched at eye level, prepared to take any kill shot if necessary.

When they entered the building, the soldiers flooded in, clearing the room. There was no one in sight, not even a single agent.

"They knew were coming," Peggy observed, dropping her gun and looking over to Steve, who was looking around in suspicion.

"How?" He asked, then walked into a room, pulling open a file cabinet. "They left all of the files. It looks like they abandoned the place, and didn't even bother hiding their information."

Peggy looked back at the soldiers. "Gather all of the files you can," she ordered, then ran her separate way, running into a small room she remembered seeing during her first visit.

The files stood stacked upon one another, towering over her. She was determined to find out just who it was that was behind it all, and how she could bring them down once and for all. She started skimming through each drawer of files, running her finger over the titles. She picked up clusters of files that seemed important, titles ranging from the SSR to Hydra, as well as files on herself and Steve.

As she went through, she stopped as she reached the Winter Soldier files. Her heart pounded against her chest as she debated lifting it up and reading what it had to say, unsure of what she would find. She looked around, then pulled it out.

The first thing she noticed was the thickness of the files. She flipped the file open, beginning to read. It began with Hydra files, describing the program itself. A man was to be turned into the perfect weapon, someone who would be the face of Hydra, and the man to shape a nation. The entire program was based on the theory that one man, at the right place and the right time could be more effective than an army.

As she turned the page, it began to get even darker. It referenced to the Project Rebirth, and the serum that changed Steve. This chosen man was to be given the same serum, and was to be trained to be the equivalent of Captain America himself. Peggy thought back to the day she encountered the Winter Soldier himself. He was truly the perfect match for Steve.

She read on, learning what else the project entailed. The files were new, dating back to 1944 and 1945, meaning the soldier had only been in place for only a few years. She noticed that it truly began in 1945, when the soldier was transformed.

She turned the page once again and began reading about the man himself, learning about the serums he was injected with, where he was taken from, and his name-

Peggy dropped the file to the floor, moving her shaky hands to her mouth, her face growing pale.

James Barnes.

Her enemy was Bucky Barnes.

She stepped back, her breathing scattered and shaky. No, no, it had to be wrong. Steve watched him die, it couldn't be him. There was no way. She kneeled down slowly, picking the file up with shaky hands.

She read on, taking deep breaths. It now read that Bucky, Steve's Bucky, had been forced into the role of the Winter Soldier against his will, after being injected with a similar serum to Steve's. It wrote that after his fall, he was recovered by Hydra scientists, fixed, and put to use almost immediately. They shoved the old man out, and replaced it with a new, improved version of himself. The face of Hydra.

"O-oh my," Peggy whispered, covering her mouth upon reading the terrible things that had been done to a once good man.

"You find anything?"

Peggy jumped at the sound of Steve's voice, closing the file instantly. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't. She hesitated for a moment before picking up the files she gathered, including the Winter Soldier file, and tucked it under her arm.

"Nothing of importance."

"Right," Steve nodded, then motioned for her to come. "We should go. We never know when they'll return."

"Of course," Peggy obeyed, leaving the room with the same look of paranoia on her face. She had lied to him. She knew it was for the better, but it didn't settle her conscience.

They walked out together, the team following.

"You okay?" Steve asked eventually. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Peggy's heart thumped against her chest. She couldn't tell him that the man he told his team to kill was his best friend. She wouldn't. "I'm alright," she nodded, then took a deep breath. "That place brings bad memories, I suppose."

Steve nodded. "I know," he sighed. "Let's get back to the office." He motioned for the team to gather together, and soon, they were on their way.

Back at the office, the four of them met up with the new files, excluding that of the Winter Soldier's.

"What have we learned?" Howard asked, looking over at Steve and Peggy.

"Well, for starters, Hydra used to control the Winter Soldier," he pulled out a file on Hydra itself, pointing to the sentence. "It says here that he did work for them. It even mentions my 'death' and their work on the serum."

Peggy looked over at him, fear running through her veins. He already knew a lot.

"What else?"

"Well, I couldn't find any files on the Winter Soldier program, but I found their research on the serum. Remember when the 107th was captured?" Steve looked over to Peggy, who forced a small nod.

"Well, apparently they were experimenting their versions of the serums on them," he added, his expression growing solemn. "It lists Bucky as one of the victims."

Peggy swallowed, watching Steve carefully. He redirected his attention to the file, shaking his head slowly. He didn't know. She almost sighed in relief.

"Anyways," he cleared his throat. "Apparently the serum lacked the vita-rays, and the first fifty injected immediately rejected the serum, and there wasn't any survivors."

"And what about the others?" Howard stepped closer, looking at the file as well.

"It doesn't say there were any survivors," Steve observed, then narrowed his eyes. "Except.."

Peggy chose this time to interrupt. "What did you find about the Russian Intel we asked for?" She took the file from his hands, setting it on the table.

Both men looked at her with a confused look, only earning a warning glare in response. "Nothing," Steve responded. "But we haven't looked into all of it."

"Do we have a name on the Winter Soldier?"

Peggy looked at Howard, her expression flat. She then looked at Steve, who shook his head slowly.

"No, we don't. We don't know who he is."

* * *

_**A/N**: I'm getting right into it! I knew that reveal would come soon, and since everyone already knows who the Winter Soldier is, I didn't want to wait to reveal something that had already been revealed. So now, Peggy knows, and I guess we'll just have to see where that goes. ;)_

_**Review Responses**:_

_**PenPaperParadise**: Howard is one of my favorites, haha! Writing him is so much fun, even more so than that of Peggy and Steve. Howard's just a great character, and definitely one you'll see more of as time goes by. I'm glad I made this longer too! I think it's about as much fun to write as it is to read, haha!_

_**JuliaAurelia**: They're all so adorable. I love Gabe and Howard so much, and there was no way I was going to write a story without including them. Even in my stories that take place in modern times, I make sure Gabe and Howard get put in there somewhere. Also, I have this small part of me that sort of, kind of, maybe, really ships Howard and Peggy, and so I had to somehow get that in there, even if it was just Howard being happy for the two of them._

_That's the exact thing I was thinking. I mean, if we think about it, Steve was only separated from Bucky a few years in his mind. The wounds of his loss in the MCU and in this story are the same, even to how long he's had to deal with that pain. I haven't gotten into it yet, but there will definitely be some of Steve going through the coping process, and maybe finding out that there could be a small part of him left, even if it's just a name in the files, could set him off on a serious hunt for the Winter Soldier. But I'm saying too much, haha. Thank you so much for your constant input! I love hearing from you!_

_**Satan#2 (AKA, Zenappa, you're a dork)**: The P fic! Hahahaha. Clint is the best. I UPDATED NOW ITS YOUR TURN. People think we're crazy. Okay, Satan. And I have no idea how to respond to you XD You're crazy._

_**Thank you guys! **_

_**-June**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Together**_

* * *

Typically, going home after a long day of work was the thing that Peggy looked forward to. She looked forward to relaxing and dwelling on the day, wondering how she would approach the next day. It was a peaceful experience for her, but not this day.

It was almost afternoon when she finally returned home, Steve following her like a lost puppy. They were both tired, worn out, and still processing. However, Peggy had more on her mind than her partner. Upon learning the Winter Soldier's identity, Peggy chose silence. She had lied to her fiance, yes, but out of protection. The truth would only hurt him more, she reasoned with herself as they both walked into her bedroom.

Steve sat on the bed, his back hunched forward as if he was trying to think. He let out a loud sigh, running a hand through his blonde hair. "That was.. eventful."

Peggy could have laughed. "You don't say," she responded sarcastically.

"We're going to be working on this for weeks, aren't we?" He asked, looking up at her sympathetically.

"Months, undoubtedly," she answered with a sigh, sitting down beside him.

He looked over at her, placing a hand on top of hers. "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" She glanced over at him, then forced herself to look at the ground. "I'm fine. Tired."

Steve let out a sigh, looking ahead as well. "Yeah, me too. It's a lot to process."

"Naturally," Peggy nodded. "This is nothing any of us expected." She couldn't help but think about the things she learned. Unexpected, indeed.

"You're not kidding," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I didn't know Bucky was involved with all of this."

Her heart sped up in her chest, and to try and fake confidence, she took a deep breath. He had no idea. "That was quite the shocker."

"I guess it makes sense," he continued, laying back on the bed. "What I don't understand is how every person injected with the serum eventually died, but Bucky was injected with it and he's.." He began to say the word 'fine', but stopped himself with a deep breath. "He survived it."

Rather than dodge the subject, Peggy turned to face him, resting her weight on her arm. "You don't talk much of him." The past, she figured, would be a better topic than the present.

Steve looked down at the bed, running his hand over the soft fabric. He grew distant just at the thought of his late best friend, or so he thought. "It's not easy."

"I know it isn't," Peggy sighed, lacing her fingers through his. "You know you can talk to me about anything, even if the words are hard to say."

With this, he sat up and put his arm around her, pulling her close. "I know." He kissed the top of her head as she looked up at him sadly. "I'm still trying to process everything.

"You won't be alone," she assured him, knowing he would need her to be by his side. Even if she was lying.

An hour later, Steve slept soundly on her couch, and Peggy went back to work. She left him a note, and left an agent by her door, not taking any precautions after his kidnapping only weeks before. At the base, she barged into Howard's office, her arms crossed.

"Howard, we need to talk."

He looked her over as if she was insane, then pushed aside the files he was looking at. "I've not slept yet, and I leave in about.. five minutes. This better be important."

"I wouldn't waste my time on anything less," she walked in front of his desk and sat down across from him. "I need you to take Steve off of the Winter Soldier case."

Howard gave her a shocked look. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No, but as your partner, I strongly recommend you terminate his involvement," Peggy answered professionally, trying to ignore the guilt rising in her throat.

"You're going to have to give me a reason," Howard narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

For the first time, Peggy looked up at him flatly. "I have never given you any reason to doubt me, Stark. This is my fiance we are talking about. If I were to do anything in regards to him, it would be of good reason."

Still, the SHIELD director was not accepting her words. "You're dodging the question."

"I don't have time for your game," she stood up, crossing her arms. "Either you remove him or I will."

He took a deep breath, practically admitting defeat. "I'll see what I can do."

Peggy could have sighed of relief, but rather, she nodded, walking towards the door. "Thank you."

"And Peggy?"

She turned around with a raised eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Careful," he looked at her with a serious expression. "I'd hate to see anything happen to the two of you."

Later that day, Peggy rummaged through the files in her desk, stopping as she reached the Winter Soldier file that she had taken only hours earlier. She checked to see if her door was closed, then flipped it open, first seeing a picture of the Winter Soldier himself, and she shook her head as she recognized Bucky immediately. He seemed to be locked shut in a metal chamber, the glass seemingly frozen. "What did you get yourself into, Barnes?" She whispered, running her finger over the picture. Just then, the door swung open, causing her to jump and shove the file back into her desk, before even looking up to see who it was.

"Howard just informed me that you suggested I focus on other missions and stay away from the Winter Soldier program. What the hell, Peggy?"

Steve. She looked up at her fiance, shaking her head slowly. "I don't have to justify my actions."

He looked at her, his expression filled with anger and hurt. "He couldn't even give me a reason. I should be allowed a reason."

Peggy's heart pounded in her chest. "I'm asking you to trust me."

"Give me a reason to!" He walked up to her desk, crossing his arms.

She debated for a moment telling him, but decided against it. She hid it for a reason, one that was still in play this very moment. "I-.. Steve, there's so much I would like to explain-"

"Then explain."

She shook her head, letting out a small groan. "It's not that simple."

He did not seem to like that response. "It is, though," he nodded. "If I'm going to be your husband-"

She held her hand out, stopping him immediately. "Stop viewing this as a personal attack on you. This is a work related matter, not personal."

Steve shook his head, looking around in anger. "I'm beginning to think it is personal, Peggy."

"I'm not asking for much," Peggy swallowed her guilt, keeping her professional facade. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, I'm only trying to-"

"Then leave it at that," she sighed. "Steve, I'm doing this for your protection."

"I'm capable of protecting myself," he sat down, his expression still stressed.

"Really?" Peggy leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You are reckless when it comes to protecting people."

"What?"

"You nearly killed yourself trying to protect trying to keep a plane from bombing people," she relayed, her expression flat.

"That was the right thing to do-"

"No, not when you could have died. You used to get into fights with people three times your size to keep them from disrespecting people who would not do the same for you," she raised an eyebrow.

"That's hardly the point-"

Peggy heaved a sigh. "Steve, you went into a Hydra facility without any backup to retrieve your best friend and the other soldiers. You constantly put you life on the line for the sake of others."

Silence filled the small office as Steve accepted the truth, looking down at the ground as if it was his last hope.

"Is that why you're taking me off?" He asked with a deep voice.

"Partially."

He looked up. "Are you going to explain the rest?"

Peggy gave him an apologetic look. "I couldn't if I wanted to."

"I trust you."

She could have sighed in relief. "I wouldn't do anything to harm you, Steve. Please don't let this affect our relationship. This is strictly professional." And extremely personal, she added in her mind.

"I know," he sighed. "I'm just trying to understand."

"I know you are," she nodded. "I think we all just need a break away from this mess."

He forced a small chuckle. "I agree."

An idea hit her, and she looked over at her calender, then back at the blonde sitting in font of her. "Why don't we?"

"What?"

"Take a break," Peggy shrugged. "Get away from everything for a bit. Just you and I."

"And go where?" He leaned forward, raising an eyebrow.

"Anywhere away from here."

"Anywhere?" He seemed skeptical.

"Yes!"

"Alright, when?"

Peggy looked back at the calender. "The sooner the better."

Steve looked at her with a confused expression, though he smiled. "You just want to disappear? Drop off the face of the planet out of nowhere?"

Peggy nodded. "There is nothing I want more than that at this moment."

He laughed along with her, shaking his head slowly. He thought about it for a few moments, then looked up at her with a smile.

"Let's do it."

* * *

_**A/N**: If there's anything in the world that I hate, it's when my OTP fights, but it was unavoidable, and.. Unfortunately, unresolved. Secrets never end well, we'll learn. I'm very excited about all of this, though! This is moving so fast, and I love it. Nothing will be the same in five chapters. The whole dynamic changes, and the character development is just very exciting. I hope you guys are excited as I am! Please, please, please tell me what you think! I love hearing from you all! It inspires me to write! Don't just favorite or follow, please leave a review as well! Thank you guys!_

_Shoutout to the amazing Zenappa, my beta and my best friend, who helped me with the dialogue here! It's my downfall, dialogue. Thankfully, I have an amazing beta who helps me out. Thank you, and love you!_

_**Review Responses:**_

_**JuliaAurelia**: Thank you for continually reviewing! Oh, I know. Unfortunately, she doesn't, and as the chapter shows, it's toxic for their relationship. Yes, Bucky and Steve are brothers, and that's why she doesn't tell him. How would one tell a person that their best friend and brother is trying to kill him, as well as everyone else? Especially someone like Steve, whose first reaction is to blame himself. Don't worry, it'll all work out! It's just so bumpy to begin with. He's going to be hurt, and they'll have to work it out, but I have faith in them. They'll figure it out. :) I don't know if I will, or at least I'll wait until we've gotten into the conflict and the resolution. Thank you for your input! :)_

_**Zenappa**: We have to start logging in for reviews.. We look insane hahaha. I gave you credit! See? Thank you :) Oh gosh, that post is awful, and we have to write that in. Oh, the one you sent me? Hello, tears. That was rude. Wait until I send you stuff for this! Especially coming up. Good lord, it's intense. And when Howard saves Christmas. Gah! I might change that to New Year's though. I'm not sure yet! You're insane, but I love you XD._

_**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! x**_

_**-June**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Together**_

* * *

Dropping off of the Earth was much easier than Steve could have imagined. Howard, of course, gave them permission to leave as soon as possible, and before he could even realize what was happening, they were on a plane, off to whatever adventures awaited them.

Peggy insisted she choose their destination, and that he would find out soon enough. He kept quiet during the flight, unsure of what to say. He had one thing on his mind, but he was waiting for the right time to mention it, knowing she wouldn't react kindly to the subject at a bad time.

When they landed, he began to grow skeptical. "Where are we?" He asked as they exited the plane. Rather than give an answer, Peggy walked forward and motioned up, putting her brown, pointed sunglasses on.

_Welcome to Tahiti!_

Steve stared at the sign for a while, then looked around, noticing for the first time, not only the dramatic change in temperature, but the sounds of waves in the distance, and the smell of salt water. It was only then that he ran up to Peggy, a smile creeping to his lips for the first time.

Upon entering, a man took their bags, and Peggy lead them down to a boardwalk, and leaned on the wood, looking out into the ocean. He stood beside her, doing the same.

"Why Tahiti?" He questioned, looking down at her.

"Howard owns a share here, and there's a SHIELD base in the city just in case," she answered, meeting his gaze.

"Just in case of what?" He frowned.

"Anything," she shrugged.

He made a disapproving face, then crossed his arms. "That's comforting."

Peggy smiled softly at this. "Don't worry, Steve," she placed a hand on his arm. "Try not to think of anything troubling."

He took a deep breath and looked down at the boardwalk below him. "Easier said than done."

Guilt crept in Peggy's heart quicker than she could stop it. "I know." She looked up at him with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry things are so confusing."

Steve looked out to the ocean, squinting at the light. "I just want answers."

"And you'll get them," Peggy assured him.

He turned back to look at her, tilting his head slightly. If any time, this was the best opportunity he would get. "Why did you take me off?"

Peggy let out a sigh. "Steve-"

"Is it because of Bucky's involvement?"

Peggy looked up at him with wide eyes. Did he know? No, that would be impossible. "What?" Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood up straight, focusing her attention on only him.

"Because of the serum he was injected with."

She almost let out a sigh of relief. "Partially," she answered truthfully.

"I can handle it," he nodded. "I want to find the Winter Soldier, and I knew it wouldn't be easy. Bucky is gone, so you don't have to worry about that," he said with a heavy heart.

You have no idea, Peggy added in her mind. "I do, actually," she crossed her arms, taking a deep breath.

"What?"

"He was your best friend, your brother. That pain won't go away," she answered bluntly. "I don't know if you're ready for that."

The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore was the only sound that the either of them could hear for a few moments as they both kept silent. To break the silence, Steve put a hand on her arm, giving her a confident look.

"I am ready for this, Peggy," he nodded.

Peggy felt as if her heart was going to beat out of her chest. He was still hurting, and she knew that he would hurt more if he were to find out the truth about the Winter Soldier. Yet, he continued to try and move forward with the investigation. She let out a sigh.

"I'll talk to Howard," she nodded, letting him step away. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

He smiled, stepping back. "I'm reckless by nature."

She gave him a look. "That doesn't help me."

"I'll be fine, Pegs," he chuckled. "I'm a capable agent."

"You're a soldier," she began walking down the boardwalk, Steve following close behind.

"You say that like its a bad thing," he raised an eyebrow at her.

She raised an eyebrow at him through her sunglasses. "Espionage is not in your nature."

He walked with his shoulders straight, his chest slightly puffed out. "I think I can pull it off."

She couldn't help but chuckle at him. "Oh, I'm glad you think so."

"Hey, what happened to 'taking a break from work'?" Steve teased.

"You're right," Peggy smiled, opening a gate to enter into a beach.

The sun was slowly setting as they walked along the beach, their hands intertwined.

"You know, I never went to the beach as a kid," Steve admitted, looking at the different colors in the sky.

Peggy looked over at him, smiling softly. "Why's that?"

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, then looked to the side with a shrug. "My mom never really had the time, or I was always too sick. Even when I was healthy, we never had the chance to go."

She looked down at the waves crashing on the shore, then up at him once again. "You must have gone at some point."

Steve shrugged once again. "We went to a beach during the war." He looked down at her with a sad smile. "It's just not the same."

Peggy smiled at him warmly. "I never really went much, either," she nodded. "I always imagined it would be a better experience with someone special."

He took a deep breath, then looked back at her. "Is it?"

She nodded and chuckled. "It is."

Back in the SHIELD base, Howard stared at the scattered papers on his desk, each form more important than the next. While being in charge was a thrilling and respected job, he spent more time signing papers than making the different he intended. He looked out of his small window into his office and spotting Gabe, then smirked.

"Jones!" He yelled, caching his comrade's attention immediately. He made his way over to the office, waiting at the doorway.

"Sir?"

Howard motioned for him to enter, standing over his desk. "C'mere, pal, there's a few things I want to talk about."

Gabe slowly walked in, sitting with a suspicious look on his face. "Alright.."

"Peggy just kicked Steve out of the Winter Soldier case, filing it as 'too personal' for him. Now why would she do that?"

The former Howling Commando shrugged. "Maybe because he was kidnapped by the guy?" He let out a small sigh. "Trying to understand her reasoning behind things is as pointless as striking the wind."

Howard nodded to that. "Trust me, I know. I just can't help but think there's more to the story than what she's telling me."

"There always is," Gabe chuckled, then shrugged once again. "Maybe it has something to do with Bucky?"

Howard raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"He was one of the soldiers injected with the serum," Gabe pointed out.

"But he didn't die," Howard ran a hand over his chin, then motioned to the door. "Go grab that file. It looks like we have research to do."

As the sun began to slowly set, Steve and Peggy both sat in the sand, looking out the horizon.

"This is nice," Steve commented, smiling over at her fondly.

Peggy nodded, looking out into the vast ocean. "It is," she smiled to herself. "A needed getaway, I would say."

"Yeah," Steve chuckled. "We haven't had much of a break since the engagement."

"I know," she nodded. "Even in our downtime, it seems that we don't get a chance to breathe."

"We haven't even talked about a wedding," Steve heaved a sigh, searching her expression for any sort of rejection. It became a habit of his, to search for signs of negativity. Thankfully, he saw none in her.

Peggy noticed his sensitivity immediately. There was not a single regret she had, except for the information she was holding back from him. She hoped it would not interfere with the plans they were setting for their future, which only made the guilt worse upon realizing that it could be catastrophic for them. "Well," she sighed, "What do you want?"

Steve smiled at her acceptance of his gesture. Though he still felt as if he was being kept in the dark, he loved her enough to put that aside. What point would there be of loving someone if there was no trust? He stared lovingly down at her, taking a moment just to listen to the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. "I guess I never really thought about what I want in a wedding," he shrugged, then let out a small sigh. "I want to be married to you, I know that for sure."

She smiled over at him, her heart still stinging with guilt. "That's very sweet," she commented, then let out a sigh, looking out at the sunset once again. "I wouldn't mind a small wedding. There is very little people I trust of lately, and even fewer people that I feel should be involved in our relationship."

"I agree," Steve nodded. "I was never really one for extravagant things anyway." He looked over at her with a content look on his face. "I'm perfectly fine with just our friends there."

Peggy forced a smirk, then moved closer to him, resting her hands on his chest. "Well, now that we've got that settled.."

Steve, per usual, blushed fiercely at her movements, then placed a hand on her arm with a bashful smile. "Wait, wait, there's more!" He laughed, but upon seeing her deadpanned response, as well as considering his options, he paused, then shook his head slightly. "Forget it, we'll talk later."

Peggy smirked victoriously, nodding. "That's what I thought."

A few minutes after he sent him out, Gabe returned to Howard with the file in his hands.

"I got the file you asked for, sir," he said, knocking on the door frame.

"Let's see it!" Howard exclaimed excitedly, waving him in.

After sitting and looking over it one last time, Gabe examined it aloud. "Parts of it has been redacted, or unfinished. It links to a file that has supposedly gone missing.

"Gone missing? We have all of their files." Howard took the file from his hand, looking over it. "Says that Barnes was injected with the serum to the full, but when Steve broke him out, they couldn't continue their research."

Gabe nodded. "And that there were only a few survivors after the first injection, and even less after the second."

"Bucky was different, though," Howard observed, pacing around his office while reading over the file. "Did he seem changed after you all were captured?"

The soldier sat back in the chair, shrugging. "I didn't really know him before, but he was different, as anyone in his place would be. He was often distant, and when we would get together as a group outside of the war, he was always either by himself or talking to Steve. He didn't open up to the rest of us as much."

Howard thought about it for a moment, then glanced down at the file once again. "This explains why Peggy wanted Steve off of the case."

Gabe sat up and looked around, furrowing his eyebrows. "Where is she, anyways?"

"The two of them went on a vacation," Howard explained, dropping the manila file on his desk.

This only confused him more. "_Now_?"

Howard chuckled, raising his hands in the air. "I don't ask questions, pal." He sat back down, letting out a sigh. "After all they've been through, I just let them do what they want for the most part."

Gabe smirked, so as to tease his comrade. "That's sweet."

Howard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, alright, don't ruin my rep. We'll talk later. Get back to work."

The former Howling Commando laughed, saluting as he walked out. "Whatever you say, boss."

As Gabe left, Howard couldn't help but smile to himself. "Howard, you dumb sap," he rolled his eyes at himself, then focused his attention back on his work. There was still much to be done, and this time, he was on his own.

After their time on the beach, both Steve and Peggy decided it best to check into their hotel, now that it was much later in the day.

"Remind me again why we are staying in a hotel rather than in Howard's place," Steve walked by her side, a hat over his head, just in case.

"I already owe Howard more favors than I would care too admit to," Peggy responded. "I would owe him another."

"Ah," he nodded, nodding slowly. "We definitely couldn't have that, now could we?" He teased, smirking down at his fiance.

Peggy responded with a slight eye roll. "Oh hush, you'll thank me later." She then looked over at the check-in desk, smirking wildly. "So," she clapped her hands together, standing in front of Steve. "Do you honestly think you could pull off espionage?"

Steve gave her a knowing glance. "Why do I get the feeling like I'm going to regret saying that?"

"Oh, you will," she chuckled, walking towards the desk. "Try and keep up, alright?

"Peggy, I don't think this is a good idea-"

"Hello there, we're just checking in for our hotel room," Peggy interrupted him by talking to the woman behind the desk, cloaking her British accent with a thick American accent, one she had been trying to perfect for years. To her, it was quite impressive. She then set a hand on Steve's chest, locking eye contact with the dark-haired woman. "We just got married, so it should be the suite."

The woman responded with a smile directed at the both of them, and to counter her kindness, Steve forced a smile, then looked down at Peggy with slightly widened eyes. She brushed it off with a small shake of her head, then looked back at the woman. "Names please?" She asked, her accent telling Peggy that English was not her native language.

"Oh, it's under um," Peggy struggled, trying to think of the best way to pronounce her last name without giving herself away. "Carter, it's under Carter," she smiled, though she did not seem to approve of the pronunciation.

Though Peggy seemed to get by easily, Steve struggled over each and every word, his panic more obvious than hers. She had many years of practice against him, true, but she was also giving him a chance to do better than she was. He cleared his throat, then took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "That's us, the um.. The Carters," he smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, then awkwardly moved it away, his smile turning to a grimace.

"Here you go!" The woman handed over their keys, smiling still. "Congratulations!"

After thanking her, Peggy walked away, Steve trailing behind her. "That was not fair, I wasn't ready-"

"Uh-huh," Peggy nodded, smirking to herself.

"I can do it!" Steve protested, looking back to see if the woman was suspicious of anything. "Just not like that!"

"Whatever you say, Mr. Carter," Peggy teased, searching for their room.

He gave her a deadpanned look, then lead her over to the door that matched their keys. She unlocked the door and let them both in, setting her coat on the couch. "Your American accent needs work," he added later, sitting on the side of the bed.

Peggy couldn't help but laugh at his words. "Oh, and I'm sure your British accent is absolutely flawless," she responded sarcastically, sitting beside him.

He looked up with a smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "I would try and prove you wrong, but that would be setting myself up for failure," he nodded, chuckling warmly.

"That's what I thought," she laughed, resting her head on his chest. She then let out a content sigh, shaking her head slowly. "You know, going back to work after this is going to be a nightmare."

Steve nodded, then shrugged. "I know, but that's a while away from now. We might as well enjoy the time we have."

Peggy smiled. "You're right."

And they did just that.

* * *

**A/N: **_This is ironically one of my favorite chapters. I've just always found it truly remarkable to see two people who are struggling able to put aside that for just a little while, even if they know it's going to hurt in the future. I know, they've got a lot to work through, and Steve has a right to be upset, but he's a sensible person, and he loves and trusts Peggy enough to know when to give it a break. Peggy loves him enough to let go of the secret, as well, and we can see that crumbling terribly here. Guilt is a very powerful thing, friends._

_Did you catch the Agents of SHIELD reference? I didn't make it subtle. Tahiti really is a magical place._

_Agent Carter comes to ABC in three days! Three days, ladies and gentlemen! That's so exciting! I know that some of the events in the show may change this, but keep in mind, this is an Alternate Universe, so it's not meant to be canon. That being said, I will mark for Agent Carter spoilers if necessary, because I would love to talk it up with you all. Seriously, send me PMs of your thoughts! I would love to talk it with everyone!_

**_Review Responses:_**

_**JuliaAurelia:**__ I completely agree! Whatever Steve sends her way, it's well deserved. I know I would be furious in his position. Don't worry, he will be angry. Of course, Steve is the kind of person that would shove his emotions down, and he would let them fester at him until he cracks all at once, but there will definitely be some unresolved problems because of this. I'm not a huge fan of arguing, so I may cut most of it out, but there will be implications that there was fighting. If you'd like to PM me what you think I should do, I would absolutely love that! The more input, the better. Thank you, hon! :)_

_**PenPaperParadise:**__ Thank you so much! I'm worried too, to be completely honest! When my ship hurts, I hurt. I'm right there with you on that. But, I have faith in them. Sure, it won't be easy, but they're strong enough to work it out. They've gotten this far, right? Thanks for reviewing!_

_**Hailey the Nerd:**__ I think.. all of the above. Really, this story goes through all of the emotions! I just hope I'm portraying all of them correctly, hahah! Thank you :)_

_**Zenna:**__ Oh, you know as well as I do that it's practically impossible for me to have a big head about these stories. That's debatable, it would take a lot for that x But I won't get sappy on you today as well as yesterday (I've only just realized how on here, I'm like GRAMMAR, GRAMMAR, GRAMMAR, when I don't even use proper language in texting..) but it's true :) I will! I'm conflicted with all of these stories, and the many, many, heartbreaking things that I have yet to write.. Or, that I've written already (Poor Bucky.). There's definitely plenty of Steggy and interrupting Howard here, you know that. Love youuu x_

_**nunachild98:**__ Your review made me smile so wide and giggle! Thank you so much! x_

_**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! x**_

_**-June **_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Together**_

* * *

"Welcome back, lovebirds!"

Peggy and Steve walked in, resisting the urge to groan at Howard's remarks. After a week of vacation, the hardest part about returning was getting up, and making an effort to return to the normal schedule. While they were still practically radiating from their time off, it was still a rude smack back to reality.

"I'd prefer it if you don't refer to us in that way in a professional setting," Peggy walked in her own office where her comrade sat at her desk, his feet propped up on the wood. "Or ever, for that matter. Feet off the desk," she commanded, setting her suitcase down on the floor. Steve followed in behind her, feeling less enthusiastic than Peggy, which was an accomplishment.

"Delightful as always, Peggy," Howard responded, sitting up in her chair. He then motioned for Gabe to come in, then had him shut the door behind him. The four of them spent a moment exchanging glances, nodding their hellos. "As much as I love a celebration," Howard stood up, clapping his hands together. "It's about time you two get to work."

Steve, who was now sitting, leaned back in his seat, heaving a sigh. "Nice to see you too, Howard," he teased, earning a concerned look from Peggy. Something wasn't right with him, and she could tell just by the look on his face. He looked stern from Howard and Gabe's standpoint, but Peggy could see through his thick walls he had built up for the others to see. Not even an hour back into work, and he was already a completely different person from the man she spent her vacation with.

Howard gave Steve a deadpanned look before continuing. "We've made some serious progress on the Winter Soldier program," he stopped mid-sentence, locking eye contact with the only female in the room. He waited for approval to continue with Steve in the room, and when she understood him, she gave him a faint nod. "Right," he nodded, looking over at the blonde. "Rogers, you may want to sit this one out.

Steve sat upright at just those words. He knew why he had been temporarily removed, but now that he had made his case and he was accepted back in, he was not about to lose the progress he had made. He took a deep breath, the looked aside, swallowing hard. "It's about Bucky, isn't it?"

Howard once again glanced at Peggy, who was already in position to step in if she needed to. She looked at her fiance with an apologetic look, then glanced at Howard, motioning for him to continue. He nodded back and sat back in her seat, propping his elbows on the desk. "Yes."

"I can handle it," Steve said without a second to waste. He didn't need to think about it, his mind had been made up. He hoped he wouldn't have to convince Howard as well, but he was prepared for that if he needed to. He looked over at Peggy, as if to tell her to give him permission to continue. Peggy returned his gaze with a sad look of her own before she turned her attention to her partner. She hated the single fact that he needed permission from her, as if she was giving Howard permission to lie to him.

"It's alright, Howard," she nodded, the words tasting awful as they rolled off of her tongue. She couldn't keep lying to him, not anymore.

Gabe took this opportunity to step in, holding a cluster of files in his hands in case the duo needed proof of what he was saying. "We have reason to believe that Bucky was one of the candidates for the Winter Soldier," he announced, setting the files on her desk.

This made Steve look over at his fellow soldier, his eyebrows furrowed. "What makes you say that?" He swallowed his feelings of sadness, focusing on the mission and the mission alone. That was his only hope if he wanted to keep himself calm.

"The file you read. Everywhere we look, Bucky is linked to that file," Howard answered, placing a finger on the files from the Hydra experimentation, and then waved his hand over the files on the desk.

"You looked through his personal files?" Peggy asked, walking up to the desk and taking a file in her own hands. When she opened it, it was the Hydra files, the ones they had on Bucky. Steve also stood up and walked to the desk, grabbing a file for himself. When he opened his and began reading, he felt his heart pulling back at each word, though he had already memorized it. This was his SSR file, which included everything from Bucky's letters back home to Steve, as well as his death reports. James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes – 1917-1944. Steve closed the file as quick as he opened it and placed it back, taking a deep breath. There were some things he just wasn't ready for.

"Peggy, please, do I look like an amateur?" Howard gave her his signature smirk, to which she rolled her eyes to.

"That's debatable."

Howard rolled his eyes back at her, then leaned back in the chair while pointing at the files. "Anyway, we know Barnes was injected with the serum, and that he survived it, and that he was alright-"

"Until he was killed in action," Steve interrupted, leaning forward in the seat, a distant look on his face. "Keep moving."

There was an exchange of looks between the other two men in the room to Peggy, who was occupied with Steve. She moved her chair closer to his, placing her hand on top of his. He didn't acknowledge her, which only made her more nervous. His shoulders tensed at the touch, and his face slightly reddened in anger, making Peggy look away, knowing how this would end.

"Right," Gabe broke the silence, sending a wide-eyed look towards Howard. This was new territory for the both of them. "Well, the files from Hydra link to another file, under the title 'Winter Soldier Program'."

Steve looked over at Gabe, reading his body language in a second. He knew that his obvious sensitivity to the topic was making the others uncomfortable, but he also knew what to focus on. "What did those say?"

"We don't know. We don't have those," Howard shrugged.

"That is the only file missing out of the ones we have."

Peggy felt her heart pound against her chest. She knew exactly where those files and what relevance it had, but she couldn't mention that now. She looked down at her desk, where the file had been carefully hidden, guilt rising in her chest. She hated keeping these secrets, especially now, but there was a lot more at stake. She took one look at her fiance's angry expression, the regret almost swallowing her whole. She opened her mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off.

"So we've hit a dead end," Steve observed angrily, exchanging looks between Howard and Gabe.

"Well, not exactly," Howard stood up and walked around to the opposite side of the desk, then leaned back on it. "When we kept looking, we found another file linking to the Winter Soldier."

Steve shook his head, looking up at the shorter man with suspicion. "And?"

Gabe stepped beside Howard, his expression solemn. "Steve, it was the report of the death of James Barnes."

Steve looked to the side for a moment, taking a deep breath. "So you're saying that the Winter Soldier was credited for Bucky's-," he choked, then shook his head, clearing his throat. "For his death?"

Howard nodded, his head hanging low. "That's how it looks."

There was a long moment of silence as the three of them stared at the elephant in the room, which was Steve in this instance. He took deep breaths in attempt to try and calm himself down, but everyone knew that this new information had hit Steve right where it hurt, including Peggy. She stared at him with tears in her eyes, knowing how much it must have hurt to hear those words. And, knowing how much more painful the truth would be.

Steve finally stood up after a long while, looking down to hide his face. "Excuse me for a moment," he announced in a husky voice, then walked out of the room, slamming the door open and earning the attention of everyone in the building.

Peggy stood up as well, watching him leave with a remorseful expression. It was time to stop the lying. "I'm-," she looked over to Howard, "I'm going to go with him."

"I thought you said he would be fine."

She shook her head, grabbing her coat and walking to the door. "I thought wrong."

Peggy followed the wide-eyed stares of the agents in the room and ran down the hall, slamming open a door that lead to large balcony, where Steve stood, gripping onto the railings as if they were his only lifeline. She paused, watching his back heave back and forth with each silent sob, then stepped forward, letting the door close. "Steve, I-"

"He killed Bucky," he turned around, covering his face with his hands for long enough to wipe the tears away. "That's what they meant. The Winter Soldier killed Bucky." Peggy took notice of the way his hands shook, and the way his chest rose and fell with each breath he took, and the frantic, yet sad look in his eye. Steve Rogers was crumbling before her eyes, and she couldn't stop it if she tried.

What was worse was the guilt she felt, knowing that she could have prevented this with just a few words. She could have told him the truth from the very beginning, and though it was a tough pill to swallow, it couldn't be any worse than the one he was trying to digest now.

"There's.. There's more you should know-," Peggy tried, but was instantly cut off.

Steve looked aside, hot tears running down his flustered cheeks. "Bucky is dead because of that man."

Peggy shook her head, stepping forward. "No, Steve, you don't know the whole story-"

"I don't need to know," Steve looked over at her with a sudden spark of anger in his eyes. Peggy knew what this was. He wanted vengeance. "We aren't going to stop until that man is captured or dead. He's a murderer." His voice caught at the end of his sentence, and as he looked to Peggy, who was still staring at him, tears forming in her own eyes.

"Yes, but Steve.." She paused, watching as he looked away, his angry expression molding into one of raw pain, and Peggy knew it was then that he began to realize just how sad he had been. The months, almost a year's worth of pain he had swallowed and let fester inside of him was now gushing out, and it was coming out fast. He raised his hands to his hair, and walked back to lean against a wall, his tears turning into sobs as he covered his face with his arms, letting it all out.

Peggy could only stand by for so long before she stepped in, walking in front of him and taking his hands in her own capable ones. "Steve," she whispered, earning his attention. She smiled sadly and wiped her thumb over his cheek. "It's alright," she nodded, then slipped her arm around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "It's alright."

He stood for a moment, his head resting on her shoulder, until he embraced her back, letting his sobs out into her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying her best to calm him, though she herself could not help but cry. Of the time she knew him, she only ever saw him cry once, and just the sight of her made him stop. Now, she saw the pain he felt, and held him upright as he sobbed in her arms. "It's alright," she repeated, though in truth, she did not know if it was, or if it wasn't at all.

He soon pulled back slowly, much calmer than he was before. "You know that's not true," he denied it softly, leaning back on the railing. "They killed him," he looked down, then sniffled, running his hand over his face in attempt to dry the tears. This, of course, was of no use as the fresh tears wet his face once again. "There's someone to blame now," he looked down in pain, then looked up at her with the same broken look, then heaved a sigh. "Someone other than myself."

"It wasn't your fault," she responded immediately, shaking her head. Seeing him like this was hard enough, but the guilt only made it worse.

"That doesn't mean I'm not faultless, Peggy," he looked up at the sky. "I just know who to blame now."

Peggy looked down, then stepped back, taking a deep breath. "Steve, you need to know something, but you need to promise me you'll handle this as well as you possibly can."

Steve looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, his eyes now slightly bloodshot from the tears. "Nothing can possibly make this worse."

"I don't believe that."

His expression slightly darkened in confusion. "What?"

She shook her head, taking yet another deep breath to try and stay calm herself. "It's-.. It's about Bucky. That file that was missing? I-I have it, and it says that-"

"We found him," came a loud yell from the entrance, earning wide-eyed stares from the both of them. Howard looked at them with the same wild look, nodding slowly.

"Him?" Peggy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Winter Soldier. We found him."

Before Peggy had a chance to get another word in, Steve pushed past her and through Howard, storming into the building. She only had a split second to turn and look at Howard with wide eyes before the both of them ran after him.

"Rogers, wait!" Howard attempted, but Steve was not listening.

"Steve!" Peggy yelled. "We need to make a plan first before we do anything rash!"

This caught his attention, and he turned around on the spot, his expression now hurt, yet angry all the same. "And let him disappear? I have a plan. Take him down. It's the only way."

"You don't want to do that, Steve," Peggy shook her head. "You won't like where that leads you."

"No," Steve interjected, raising his eyebrows. "This is it. Now or never. I will avenge Bucky, that's what he deserves," he said with conviction, walking towards the phone, and picking it up in anger. He listened closely as the man over the phone gave him the coordinates, then hung up.

"Steve!" Peggy walked up to him once again, grabbing his shoulder with force. "By killing a murderer, you become one yourself. You can't kill him-"

"So be it."

Peggy watched with wide eyes as Steve walked towards his office, where his gear was stored. The man she knew would not act the way he was, but she knew something had changed. There was no stopping a man who did not want to be stopped.

Howard walked beside her and watched Steve walk out of the building, his eyes wide. "We've got a problem, don't we?"

Peggy couldn't respond, no, she just stared at the door with wide eyes, trying to process what just happened. This was beyond a problem, this was a man at a war he couldn't win. This time, there would be no recovering.

And Peggy was absolutely terrified.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Oh dear, now Steve's on a revenge mission. You see kids, this is why lying is bad._

_This chapter is basically part one in: Steve Has Emotional Breakdowns at the Worst Times. Also titled: Peggy Waits Until the Worst Moments to Tell the Truth. Or just basically: They Need to Work On Timing._

_Agent Carter! Wasn't it absolutely perfect? I loved it so much, and I can't wait for this weeks! I know that this story isn't canon, and so there's a lot that I have written that is in contrast to the way that they are writing the show. I honestly believe that Peggy is a completely different person with Steve than without, and she has a lot less emotional baggage in here. That being said, some things from Agent Carter will be used in this, like for instance, I've written a cameo for one Edwin Jarvis already ;) But yes! I would love to talk Agent Carter with everyone! Send me your thoughts and theories! (But I won't be watching this week's episode live, so no spoilers for episode 3!)_

_Apologies for late posting, it's finals week, and on top of that, there has been a lot going on lately, but due to my tardiness, I will be posting again on Wednesday, and then not again for a while because SPOILERS!_

_Also, shoutout to my dear _**_Zenappa,_**_ because she has been helping me with these past chapters, as well as future chapters! You're the best!_

**_Review Responses:_**

**_JuliaAurelia: _**_A break was definitely necessary, especially considering what is to come.. ;) They really needed positive conversation, that is for sure. However, they obviously didn't talk enough! That's okay, that will come!_

_I was thinking about that while writing, and I originally had added a line where Steve basically started talking about that, as well as one trip with Bucky's entire family, but I didn't think that it would fit, and I didn't think Bucky would take Steve to the beach portion. Or, if he did, it would have been for just a moment._

_Haha, I had to! Oh, yes. I was going to add in a bit more of a tease, but I figured everyone got the general idea. They fon-did it!_

_Ooh, you're getting there! Although, I don't think they had enough time to piece things together before all hell broke loose!_

_Right, her love for him is more than I think she knows how to handle, which is good, but with her background and her spy-like nature, as well as her protective nature, it can be - and is - a recipe for disaster. Thank you for reviewing!_

**_Turds, aka Zenappa: _**_We really are. Oh yes! I'm stoked for the cliffhanger, you have no ideaaaaaa. It's on your level! I'm not sorry. The end. 3_

_**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! x**_

_**-June**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Together**_

* * *

After watching him walk out of the room, Peggy took action.

"Steve!" She ran after him, finally catching up with him with a gun in his hands. She gave him a look of disapproval, which was answered with a determined look from the blond captain.

"You're not going to convince me out of this," he loaded the gun, tucking it in his holster. He then grabbed his shield and latched it to his back, grabbing his helmet.

Peggy followed his every step, grabbing a large gun for herself. "I know I can't, but I at least can help." She helped him fasten the helmet under his chin, glancing at the gear that was made for her. There was no time. "I promised that you wouldn't be alone. I intend to keep that promise."

Steve's expression softened towards her, but he was still determined. He was filled with a new drive: Vengeance. "Only you," he nodded, glaring at the soldiers around them.

"I.. I don't think that's a wise choice," Peggy added, looking at him skeptically.

Steve, however, was not as reluctant. "I'm not looking for a wise choice, Peggy. I'm looking for the tactful choice."

"This isn't it," she shook her head. She knew who she was up against.

He looked down at her, his eyes burning with determination. "I know what I have to do."

For a moment, Peggy stared at him, wondering how it had gotten this far. She lead him to this. She knew this was her fault. She had to fix this. "I'll be with you."

"What do you two think you're doing?" Howard walked in, watching the two of them load weapons onto their suits, taking no time in putting their gear on.

Peggy was the first to speak up. "With all due respect, sir, we are doing what we were trained to do." She placed a gun in her holster, then held one up, glancing at Steve for a moment. "Do you want him or not?"

Howard shook his head, then held out two devices, a red button in the middle. It was older technology from the war, a device they were both familiar with. "Be careful. Call for backup if you need it. Don't get yourselves killed."

Peggy took the devices, handing one to Steve. "You know we will. Prep a response team in case." She held up the device. "We'll let you know if we need help."

Steve grabbed Peggy's arm and pulled her back, looking forward. "Come on, we don't have time to waste."

With that, Steve mounted on his motorcycle, and helped her on behind him, and they were off.

Around twenty minutes later, they grew closer to the site, and they dismounted and began to walk.

"We need to talk before we step into something we aren't prepared for," Peggy insisted, recalling the things she had to tell him. If they were about to encounter the Winter Soldier himself, she wanted him to hear it from her first.

"Can't it wait?" Steve responded while running. "This is important.

"So is this!" Peggy walked beside him, trying to catch his undivided attention.

He wasn't giving it. "Focus on the mission," he instructed, speeding up.

She wasn't about to give up. She ran faster, trying her best to keep up with the super-soldier. "You're getting too caught up in your emotions. You're not stable enough for this."

Steve didn't even look down at her. "I'll be fine once the Winter Soldier is down."

Peggy shook her head. "No you won't."

"You don't know that."

Peggy stopped, grabbing his arm. "I do, though. I'm trying to talk to you, Steve."

"Typically I would love to talk, but I'm focused right now, and you should be as well," he gave her an irritated look, and she stepped back, knowing she chose the worst time to bring this up. There was no other choice.

"I am being focused, and if you would just listen-"

"Shh."

Peggy's eyes widened as Steve turned a corner, kneeling down. She placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at him. "Did you just shush m-"

"Shh!"

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "I cannot believe that you-"

"Peggy!" Steve looked over at her, giving her yet another irritated look. "We are almost at the site."

She took a deep breath and put her gun in her hands, still giving him a dirty look. "That is still not a good enough reason to shush me, especially when I'm telling you something important."

They walked ahead in silence, Peggy fuming behind him. He looked back her, seeing her carry her gun at eye level, still wearing an annoyed look. "I'm going to pay for that later, aren't I?"

Peggy shook her head, motioning to the door. "Not going to be that subtle. Let's go."

Now that they had reached the building, the two of them walked in with their guns in front of them, looking around suspiciously. Eventually, Steve lowered his gun, taking a deep breath.

"I don't see anything," he observed, turning around to look at Peggy.

She, however, didn't lower her gun. "That doesn't mean anything. We are up against a skilled assassin. He could be anywhere and everywhere."

Steve shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Or this could have been a dead end."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Peggy shrugged, looking through her scope to try and spot anything.

He let out another sigh. "We were so close, there has to be something-"

Peggy narrowed her eyes, squinting to see better. Once she saw the flash of silver, she moved to action, hearing the sound of a gun shot echoing in the air. She immediately lunged at Steve, sending the both of them rolling to the side. "Look out, he's out there," she warned, looking up with wide eyes, then scrambling to her feet. She shot twice at the figure, but he had already started to run in the opposite direction.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, standing up quickly, his gun in his hands already.

"Fine," Peggy responded, watching the Winter Soldier run from the iron ledges above them, vaulting himself from each part. "Go get him."

Steve ran ahead of her, his eyes on him now. He sped up easily, leaving Peggy behind. She shot at him from a distance, but never once hit him. She wondered if that was on purpose or not, now that she knew who was behind the mask. "Steve!" She yelled, knowing that this was about to escalate, and her time was running out.

Steve kept up with the soldier, both of them running at a ridiculous speed. Whoever he was, he was strong, he was fast, and he was just as skilled as Steve was. Steve was impressed, but he was determined. He shot up at him, earning his attention. The soldier looked down at the blonde with a glare, then stopped, shooting behind him and hitting an iron container, sending the bullet flying through the air. While Steve ducked and protected himself, the soldier got away.

Peggy eventually caught up, taking deep breaths. She looked up and couldn't find him, which only added to her anxiety. "Where'd he go?"

Steve looked up, his expression solemn. "I think he escaped." He looked over at her. "I'm going to find him."

Before he could go anywhere, Peggy grabbed his arm firmly, while keeping a good distance away from him. "You may not want to do that." She knew it was now or never to tell him.

Steve gave her a slight glare. "Why not?"

"Because I know who he is."

Steve, at this point, stared at her with wide eyes and began to step closer to her. "What?" She stepped back. "Who?"

Peggy looked up, making sure he wasn't around.

"Steve, it's Buck-"

Bang.

Peggy choked on her own words, her hand moving to her abdomen. When the crimson color soaked through her gear, she looked up at Steve, her face paling.

"Bucky."

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Annnd it's out! Finally, I post that cliff hanger I've been talking about. Late, might I add. Apologies for my terrible timing, I have had a month from hell this month. Between finals, hospital visits, being sick, and working out future plans, it's been difficult to put time aside for writing and updating my stories, but the hell is _**_almost_**_ over, so just a bit longer!_

_A huge shout out to my heaven sent beta, _**_Zenappa, _**_who has a huge audition today, and even though I know she doesn't need it because she's just that amazing, I am wishing good luck, and I want you to know that I have so much faith in you! Send her a good luck message in your reviews, if you would! It would help with her confidence, and I may just send you internet hugs for being a wonderful person._

_I am on Archive of Our Own! This story, along with my other story, _**_The Trail's End_**_, have been put up there for anyone who may have better access on that site! Even if you've read it here, I highly suggest reading it on there as well, as it does have some extra scenes, better writing, and so much more. Remember when I said I wanted to redo this story? Well I did, but for Archive of Our Own! My name is exactly the same as it is here, and there is a link in my profile for all of those who would like to check that out! Thank you guys!_

_**Review Responses:**_

_**JuliaAurelia: **__Well, she admitted it, but it had to be a cliffhanger! Way to pick the timing, Peggy. I couldn't resist with this chapter. It's so delightfully cliche, haha. She told him before Steve saw Bucky, but not before Bucky saw them! I believe this, so far, is a good example of all hell breaking loose haha. Thank you for your constant support!_

_**red lighting:**__ Thank you so much!_

_**Zenappa: **__Don't get yourself in trouble there. XD I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT! GOOD DAY. GOOD LUCK. I LOVE YOU._

_**Patricia Starara: **__Your reviews had me laughing so loud, haha. Especially the last two. XD I'm glad you're enjoying it! Sorry for the feels! Thank you for all the reviews! XD_

_**Thank you to everyone who read! x**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Together**_

* * *

**_Previously.._**

_"Steve, it's Buck-"_

_Bang._

_Peggy choked on her own words, her hand moving to her abdomen. When the crimson color soaked through her gear, she looked up at Steve, her face paling._

_"Bucky."_

* * *

"Peggy!" Steve did not waste a second before running to her side, staring at her wound with wide eyes.

She immediately clutched her stomach, pushing back with her legs to lean against a wall. She let out a groan of pain, clenching her teeth tightly. "Steve," she coughed, flipping the hand on her wound over to see how badly she was bleeding. At the sight of the blood, she widened her eyes and placed her hand back on the wound, pushing down on it with all the strength she could muster.

Steve knelt by her side, placing his arm under hers. "I'm right here," he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, then began to lift her up. He hadn't thought about the words she had said after she was shot, no, all he could think about was her.

She, however, was not letting him consume himself with her injury. She grabbed his arm and shook her head, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Stop, no, you need to listen to me." She pulled him closer to her, trying her best to ignore the pain that was beginning to overwhelm her. "The-.. The Winter Soldier, it's.." She gave him a serious look. "It's Bucky. He's Bucky."

He stared at her with wide eyes, trying to make sense of what she was implying. "Peggy," he shook his head, "He's dead, it's not-"

"I took the file," she hissed, glaring at him. "I.. I read it. It's Bucky, trust me."

Steve leaned back, the pieces of the puzzle finally going in place. The Winter Soldier was not his murderer, he was his alias. He wasn't in control. More importantly, she knew before he did. "He.. He.. You knew?" He gave her a hurt expression, occasionally looking over his shoulder. By this point, he was long gone.

"I'm sorry," Peggy croaked, resting her head against the wall. Her skin began to pale, and her grip on her abdomen was growing loose with time. She was about to die at the hands of Bucky Barnes.

Steve only paused for a few more seconds before he slipped his arms under her and lifted her up. Once she was in his arms, he looked around for the exit and began walking towards it, keeping an eye on her.

"What are you doing..?" Peggy asked, looking up at him with a weak, yet concentrated look.

"You're shot," Steve pointed out the obvious, walking out of the facility. "I'm taking you back."

She let out a groan as he told her his plan. This was not what she wanted. "You can't," she argued, wincing loudly as she dropped her hands to her abdomen.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," he reasoned, looking down at her with a stern expression. "Don't be ridiculous, Peggy. You're health is far more important."

She kept quiet for a few seconds, mostly out of pain rather than out of giving in. "You'll lose him," she reminded him, coughing loudly. A groan of pain followed the cough, followed by her resting her head on his chest upon losing the strength to hold it up on her own.

He nodded slowly, looking forward. "I know," he took a deep breath. "But I'll lose you if I don't take you back, and that's not going to happen."

She said nothing for a while, almost as if she was too busy concentrating on her health. "You ought to be.. You ought to be mad at me," she managed, looking up at him with a guilty look.

Steve let out a sigh. "I'm not happy, that's for sure. We'll talk about it later when you aren't dying. I'm keeping focused on getting you back to safety."

"You-.. you should have let me take care of myself, and.." She struggled over words, having to constantly stop to wince, without letting herself slip out of consciousness. "You could have caught him-"

"Peggy, stop," he looked down at her, shaking his head. "It's over. We'll focus on him later. Right now, you need to get medical assistance."

She didn't bother trying to argue his point, knowing it could very well save her life.

After minutes of silence, Peggy felt a different pain consume her, one that caused her to breathe heavily and cough violently, which only brought more pain to her.

Steve noticed her sudden change in health, and immediately looked down at her, only to watch her slip in and out of consciousness. "Hey, stay with me, alright?"

Peggy looked up at him with a flat expression, her teeth gritting together. "Trying." Seconds later, she felt a wave of relief, one that allowed her to relax. Perhaps if she just shut her eyes for a few seconds..

He stopped immediately. "Peggy, hey, you need to stay awake," he attempted, his frantic state seeping out slowly. "Stay awake, we're almost there. Just a little while longer."

Her body soon fell limp in his arms, to which he looked ahead with a terrified expression, then began to run. He had to get her back, and soon.

Upon reaching the base that was only a few miles away, Steve slowed down as Howard came running out, a medical team following him. "Steve!" He called out, and upon catching up to him, he looked down at his partner in his arms with wide eyes. Her torso had practically been turned crimson from her blood, and he took notice of the way her body was limp in his arms, and the way her skin was practically white. "Oh my god-"

"She needs medical attention now," Steve wasted no second in taking action to save her, even so much as to walk to the medical team himself. "She's lost a lot of blood, and if you don't hurry, it could be too late." They all nodded and he let them take her, though he still did not trust anyone with her life. It was too risky. He turned back to look at Howard, who watched the doctors take Peggy away. "Bucky is still in there, and-"

This caught Howard's attention. "What?"

Steve let out a sigh, looking down at his now bloodied hands. "She thinks it's Bucky, that.. That the Winter Soldier is Bucky."

"How-," Howard shook his head. "That's not important. We had a feeling Barnes was more involved than the files were telling us. I'm guessing she has the file."

Steve nodded slowly, glancing over at the doctors every few seconds.

"Great," the dark-haired man ran his hands through his hair. "We.. We had a copy of it a while back-"

"You knew?"

Howard took a deep breath. "I didn't want to believe it either-"

"I believe it, that's not the problem," he walked towards Howard, an angry expression on his face. "My problem is that everyone is keeping secrets from me."

"I did it to protect you-"

"I can protect myself," Steve shook his head, crossing his arms. He then walked closer to the medical section, watching them work on his fiance with a heavy heart. He silently prayed that she make it out alive, and that wherever he was, Bucky was okay too.

"We got her, Steve," Howard walked behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be well cared for. Go get him."

He turned around, shaking his head. "No, what if-"

"Peggy is tougher than all of these soldiers combined, and she has a pain tolerance that would put you to shame. She's going to be just fine, Steve. Go get your best friend back."

Steve considered his options for a moment before placing his hands on Howard's shoulders. "You make sure that the only thing they focus on is her. She's not going to die today, got it?"

Howard pushed his hands off of him, grimacing at the blood stains he now sported. "You know that I will, Steve," he gave him a serious look. "I care about her too."

He nodded, stepping back slowly. He looked around for a moment, but once his eyes fell on a prototype motorcycle, he smirked, walking towards it. Seconds later, he was off, headed back to the location where they had just been.

Once he reached the warehouse once again, fear grew in his stomach, something he couldn't shake if he tried. He stepped off of the motorcycle and grabbed his shield, walking towards the facility. He took a deep breath before walking in, making as much noise as he could. The Winter Soldier, whoever he was, needed to know that he was here. He ran deep into the facility, reaching where Peggy had been shot, her blood still staining the wall she had leaned against. He looked around, not seeing a single person, not even a hint that anyone had been there other than his team. "Bucky!"

He could not hear a single noise, not even a creak of metal. "Or.. Whoever you are, I don't want to fight you. I-I won't fight, just please, come out," he announced, silently cursing himself for thinking that it would work. He threw his shield across the room, letting it slide on the floor. "I just want to understand."

At first, there was still nothing, until he heard a soft whirring, and immediately, Steve looked over to his shield. As he did so, he could see another man leaning down to pick it up, and once he stood up straight in the light, Steve felt his heart sink.

Standing in front of him was his best friend, his comrade, his brother, and yet, he was not the same. His hair was just a bit longer, and he wore mostly black. Steve took notice of his arm, which was now shining metal. That was new. What made him stop, though, was his eyes. There did not seem to be any recognition, or any emotion whatsoever. Whoever did this to him, they ripped Bucky out and replaced it with someone Steve did not recognize.

"Buck," Steve breathed, looking at his friend with a sad expression. "I-I thought you were dead. What.. What did they do to you?"

The other man walked forward slightly, looking at Steve intently. "Who are you?"

Those words hit Steve like a bullet. "I-It's me, Buck. It's Steve." He couldn't help but grimace as he realized that Bucky did not know who his best friend was, much less who he was. He would have hated that, but that did not matter anymore.

The Winter Soldier looked to his right in a moment of panic, then in seconds, lifted a gun up, placing it against Steve's forehead. "Who do you work for?"

Steve felt his heart pound in his chest, but out of hurt, not fear. "I'm your friend, Bucky," he shook his head. "I always have been. Don't you remember?"

This irritated the man more than anything else. He pressed the gun against his head harder, though he looked aside as if he was trying to understand, but couldn't. "Are you one of them?"

"What?" Steve shook his head, trying to ignore the gun that his best friend had put against his head. His best friend was willing to kill him. "I told you, I'm your friend. I want to help."

"Are you here to take me back?"

He looked up at his friend, narrowing his eyes. "Take you back to what?" What had they done to him?

Bucky's expression darkened. "Answer."

"No!" Steve shook his head. "I'm not going to hurt you, I-I just want to help."

"That's what they said."

Another shot. Steve swallowed harshly, trying not to think about who 'they' were, and what they did to him. "No, I'm not like.. them. We grew up together. I'm your friend."

He pressed the gun against his head just a bit harder.

"My name is Steve Rogers," he tried, closing his eyes to calm himself. "You know me, Buck."

"No."

Steve opened his eyes, looking at what they turned his friend into. He wanted to cry at the sight of him, but mostly because even though they hurt him, he was alive. "I-I watched you fall. I didn't catch you. Please, I'll be right here every step of the way. I can help, Bucky." He held his hand out, despite the gun against his head.

Bucky noticed his hand right away, and for a moment, Steve thought he would take it. That moment passed, however, as Bucky shot just to the left of him, hitting the wall behind them. "You're lying, just like they did." He stepped back, then shot at the ceiling, breaking a rope to make metal bars fall from the ceiling. "Do not follow me."

He then ran away, and Steve quickly jumped to follow him, only to be stopped by falling objects. "Bucky! Stop!" He watched as his best friend ran through the building with incredible speed. He stepped back, blocking the objects, then started back to the entrance. He would find his friend, but perhaps not then. He didn't want to be found, not yet.

Hours later, Steve found himself at a hospital. Howard sat in a chair in the waiting room, his head in his hands. Steve walked up to him, almost feeling guilty for the man. "How is she?"

Howard looked up, looking relieved to see the Captain. "Stable," he breathed.

Steve sat beside him, looking at his hands. A lot had happened in a short amount of time, and he was still trying to process everything. "How long until she's awake?"

"She's in and out, Steve," he explained, shaking his head. "I am still trying to understand what the hell happened."

"Join the club."

Howard looked over at him for a moment, taking a deep breath. "You know she did it to protect you, right?"

"I can protect myself," he answered flatly.

He nodded. "Yeah, you can, but she didn't want you to get hurt."

Steve turned and looked at him with an irritated expression. "She got shot in the process. How is that keeping me from getting hurt? That's where all the secrets lead. It lead to her almost dying on me."

"I'm not excusing it, pal," Howard shook his head. "I just don't want to see you two fall apart over this."

Steve shook his head. "How do I know that it won't happen aga-"

"Don't even say that," Howard cut him off. "She lied to protect you from the truth because it is so ridiculous that she knew you would be hurt by it. This isn't a normal situation. Your best friend, the one you have been mourning, just shot your future wife after everyone thought he was dead." He sighed loudly. "That's not normal."

"He doesn't know who I am, much less who he is-"

"Sure, but you know who she is. She wouldn't do anything to purposely hurt you."

Steve shook his head. "I don't want to talk about this with you."

"Fine, then don't," he stood up. "She was doing what we pay her to do. I'm sure it wasn't easy for her, either." He then walked away, leaving Steve there to think about it all. Steve grimaced as he walked away, letting out a groan.

Once they allowed him into her room, he sat by her bedside, fearful to leave, even if just for a second. In the time he had spent in the room, she didn't move, but he didn't expect her to. She did look much better than she did when she was shot, and he knew she would be awake soon.

This proved to be true about an hour later. She slowly stirred awake, then looked to her left, spotting him. "Steve..?"

"You're awake," he leaned forward, taking her hand.

Peggy took a moment to gather her surroundings, looking at her stomach that had been throbbing since she woke up, then at him. "They told me you went after him." He nodded. "Did you get him?"

Steve sighed, leaning back in his seat while still holding her hand. "I don't think he wants to be brought in. I think he should just be left alone for a while."

"I trust you," she nodded, coughing loudly.

He leaned forward, taking a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Peggy looked over at him, guilt washing over her. She forced herself to sit up, though he did try and help her. "I knew what it would have done to you."

"You could have let me handle myself," Steve shook his head. "You didn't have to protect me."

She shook her head. "No, and I was wrong to keep it from you," she nodded, then winced as she moved in a way that irritated her wound. "I thought.. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong."

Steve looked down for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Eventually, he let that conversation pass, knowing it would come up again. "How do you feel?"

"Truthfully?" Peggy asked, giving him a look.

He chuckled. "Preferably."

"I feel like hell," she shook her head, grimacing slightly. "I don't think I have been in this much pain in a long time."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "You've never been shot?"

"Actually, I have," she looked to her right, motioning to her shoulder. "Twice in the shoulder during the beginning of the war. I've been tortured once, as well. This is beginning to hurt much more than that."

He nodded slowly, raising his eyes in surprise. "What can I do?"

"Unless you can make the pain subside, nothing."

He chuckled. "You should rest. Your body needs to heal."

For once, she didn't argue his advice. "I suppose." She leaned back, and he jumped at the opportunity to help her relax.

Once she was settled, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling down at her. "I'll be here when you wake up."

She smiled. "Thank you." She waited until he sat down, then looked over at him. "Steve?"

"Hm?" He looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"I may have made a mistake, but I love you, I hope you know that."

He smiled and nodded. "I love you too, and we'll figure it out. For now, you need to sleep."

She listened and was out in seconds, meanwhile, in the chair beside her, Steve could not sleep if he wanted to. His mind was racing, still.

An hour later, he finally drifted off to sleep, wondering where in the world his best friend could be in that moment.

* * *

**_A/N: _**_Yikes, a lot happened in this chapter! Are you guys okay? Are you still there? I know I'm not! Finally, Bucky and Steve actually have a conversation! This wasn't supposed to be about Bucky.. Heck, that's the story of my life. What now? Peggy's in the hospital, and Bucky has_ _run off, who knows how far. What's Steve going to do now? ;)_

_ALSO, just a little tidbit on this chapter.. I've mentioned in there that Peggy was shot in the shoulder. This was written weeks before Agent Carter came out, and so you should have seen my excitement to see that she actually has bullet wounds on her shoulder! I am still waiting to find out what those are about, but I was definitely excited to get a small detail right! There's a part in the next chapter that is a lot like that, but it was more of the dialogue that is now canon. I love it when that happens. Anyways, that was just a small fact. XD_

_That cliffhanger brought some attention, haha! Apologies for updating so late, but with the Super Bowl yesterday, there was no way I could update as I normally do on Sundays (I was cheering for the Seahawks.. Though I will always be #teamevans) . But, here it is for all of you who have waited anxiously! Sorry about making you wait so long for this!_

_Going to give a big shoutout to Zenappa, my beta, for helping me with dialogue and just being an overall amazing person and helper in this story, as well as all my other stories! Love you!_

**_Review Responses:_**

**_JuliaAurelia: _**_The timing was terrible, really. She did try, though! Now she has to deal with consequences of keeping it in for so long, which has to be expected. Secrets never end well. Haha! Well, I hope I didn't make you wait too long! It wasn't that bad. It could have been much, much worse, but I had pity on you all (as well as myself!). Yes ma'am! I hope this was all that you expected and more! Of course, there will be more wounded Peggy, and now, as many can imagine, Steve will want to find Bucky. But, that'll be touched on the next few chapters. There's so much more to come! ;)_

_**PenPaperParadise:**__ Haha, I'm glad you were invested! I am the same way! Leading up to that part, I was feeling so stressed about it! Oh, I know! Since the show, I have been reminded how much I love her, haha. I have been writing her for.. Gosh, almost four years now, so it's so exciting to see her form into such a major character! I'm like a proud little mother hen! I can't keep her hurt for long, haha. I hope you enjoyed! :)_

_**Hailey the Nerd: **__;) Did you like that? Hahaha_

_**nunachild98:**__ Ask, and you shall receive! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed! :)_

_**Guest:**__ I still have mixed emotions about it, and it's been resolved now. I think I've watched too many TV shows. Now all of my cliffhangers are awfully good._

_**Zennapa: **__Awe 3 I love you too! I knew it would work out, besides, you had other ones that went well. :) Hahah, I knew you would appreciate me posting it. Finally I got that cliffhanger off my chest hahah. Love you!_

_**tothemoonanback3690: **__Oh my god! Your review actually made me squeal a little! I'm glad you like it so much! It makes me so happy to know that you're enjoying it so much! Honestly, that was my inspiration for this story. There is simply not enough happy Steggy stories, and even if the situation itself is not happy, at least they're together (get it? haha that was lame), right? Plus, I want them together so bad that I figure somewhere, even if it's a corny little story, they should have that right. :) Thank you so much for your review! x_

**_And a huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, favorited, and followed this! x_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Together**_

* * *

_"Who are you?"_

Steve, though he hadn't slept, winced where he sat. Thinking about the events that led up to where they were now never resulted to anything more than nightmares and sleepless nights, but it seemed to be the only thing in his mind. His friend, his best friend, was turned into a killer, and had he not been careful, Steve knew he could have been his next target.

_"I-It's me, Buck. It's Steve."_

The conversation played through his head like a broken record, repeating over and over just to run salt in his wounds. He tried shutting it out and thinking about something else, anything else, but it was to no success.

_"Who do you work for?"_

It had been almost a week, if not more, since his conversation with the ghost of his best friend. He spent the first few days scrambling for information, anything he could get his hands on. It was then that Howard insisted he take a break and focus on more important things, such as his fiancé, who was still spending her days in a hospital bed.

_"I'm a soldier, just like you."_

He listened to Howard's advice. He knew very well what he would do if he kept on a revenge mission. His last revenge mission put two bullets in the woman he loved, and next time, he was certain it would do more damage. He now spent his days sitting by her bedside, taking care of her when he could.

_"Are you one of them?"_

He felt betrayed by his friends at first, and perhaps it didn't entirely fade away. Secrets always had a cost, he knew that, and they were paying for the ones they decided to keep. Peggy seemed to be paying for them more than the rest of them. The uncomfortable conversation came up any time they were around each other, leading to either an argument or awkward silence. Over time, it wasn't as difficult, but even now, as she slept in the hospital bed, he still felt the hurt that came with the secret she kept from him.

_"What? Bucky, I'm your friend. I want to help."_

He felt as if he should have known better. It was a personal mission, and he was more invested than any of them. It was all about his best friend, the one he lost. The one who was lost. There was only one, and it was Bucky. Steve felt guilty every day that of all of his team, Bucky was the one who fell, and not him. He felt it should have been him.

_"I-I watched you fall. I'll be here with you every step of the way. Please, just trust me."_

Peggy was still his strength and support, even if he was angry. There were more times than he cared to admit when she was the single thing keeping him from doing anything stupid. She was more than his strength, she was his protector, keeping him from himself. He still felt hurt, and he knew he was justified in that.

_"You're lying. You're one of them."_

He took another deep breath. The story was the same every time. He would ask Bucky to think it through, and each time, his best friend would force him to leave him alone and not follow him. There was no alternate ending where they walked out together, and the entire thing was put to rest; no, there was only the ending that left him haunted.

He didn't know why it hurt him so much. He wasn't even entirely certain that he was angry at the ones who kept secrets from him, as much as he was about the situation itself. His best friend, who was alive, still lived as a ghost, someone who he thought was gone. He didn't know who his friends were, or even who he was. He was lost in himself, and that hurt Steve more than he would admit to.

He glanced out of the window, watching as the sun slowly began to rise, an aching feeling in his head and chest. He didn't know if that was out of exhaustion or out of hurt, but in any manner, he felt it.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that you haven't slept."

He jumped and looked back at the hospital bed, where Peggy now sat up straight, looking over at him with a tired expression. He felt slightly guilty for not making sure she was sleeping like the doctors asked, but then again, he knew she wouldn't listen to them or him anyway.

"You're awake," he observed aloud, turning in his chair to face her. She had dark circles under her eyes, as he no doubt had as well, informing him of her lack of sleep.

She tried to stifle a yawn and failed, then gave him a small smile. "I think I've forgotten how to sleep entirely."

He chuckled quietly, looking down at his hands. "Well, when you remember, remind me how it's done." He looked up at her with a tired smile, then glanced down at her stomach, where her hand rested on layers of bandages, covered by a stiff blanket. "How do you feel?"

"Like I have two bullet holes in my stomach," she answered with a slight raise of the eyebrow. "As good as can be expected."

He nodded. "Maybe it would be better if you slept. Your body needs time to heal."

"I could say the same about you."

Steve let out another chuckle, shaking his head. "I heal pretty quickly."

Her expression grew serious. "Maybe physically, but I know you're hurting emotionally, and that needs time to heal as well. The serum can't help with that. If it could, we'd all need it." She took a deep breath. "Go home, Steve, and get some rest. You need it, and I'll be fine. You don't need to sit by my bedside every day."

"I'd get as much sleep there as I would here, Peg," he reminded her. "I might as well stay."

She stared at him for a while, before caving into his faint smile. "I can't say I mind the company," she sighed, then gave him a confused look. "What about work?"

"Howard gave me the week," Steve shrugged.

She raised her eyebrows to this, looking ahead with a shocked expression. "That was kind of him."

"I asked him for it," he only partially lied. "I don't really know how to get back to work after…"

Peggy nodded. She understood as he did, though she didn't have the choice to return or not to. If she had the choice, she knew she'd make the same choice as her fiancé. "Why not start where we stopped?"

This struck a chord in Steve. He tilted his head with a distant expression. "You mean when we found out that my best friend is, in fact, not dead, and is actually an assassin now? Or at the part where everyone failed to share that information with me?"

Her expression flattened. "Barnes is alive, which is something you couldn't say a week ago."

He leaned his head back, taking a deep breath. "You could."

Peggy gave him an irritated look, then nodded, taking his words in. "I suppose I deserve that," she started, then gave him another determined look. "Perhaps that's true, but I know you are stronger than to sit and fume about what is in the past." She waved her hand in front of her. "Bucky is out there, and whether it by his own accord or someone else's, he's mixed in something he can't get himself out of. If not for me, than you have to pick yourself up for him. You know damn well he would do the same for you."

He listened to her words, and thought about them for a moment. She was right, but there were important details she was leaving out, such as the fact that Bucky forced him to leave. "Even if that's true, he doesn't want my help."

"Then don't give him the opportunity to turn it down."

Steve took a deep breath. "I don't even know where to begin looking."

She turned in the bed, bringing her legs to her chest and facing him. "Is there somewhere he would know? His mind may be miles away, but every man has a home."

_Brooklyn_. "Do you really think he'd go back?"

"This is uncharted waters, Steve. This is brainwashing and hypnosis, things we might never understand. There's no telling what a man with no idea of who he is might do," she explained with a shrug.

"I don't know how lost he really is. He didn't know me at all," he shook his head, looking down at the floor. "He looked right through me as if I was just another person out to get him. He didn't even recognize me."

Peggy heaved a sigh. "I was afraid of that. How much damage can they do in two years?"

Steve shrugged, thinking back to when he had been under the same treatments as Bucky, though he didn't know it was him until now. "In just hours, they were able to shove me out of my own head and replace it with something of their own. If that was just a sample of what they've done to Bucky…" He shook his head.

Peggy took his words a different way. "That just means that there's a way to snap him out of it, just like you were able to."

"Maybe," he shrugged again, "but it won't be so easy."

"What made you snap out of it?"

He thought about her question. He wasn't entirely sure of what it was that made him come to his senses, but he knew the first thing he remembered was seeing the Winter Soldier, his best friend, with his hand around her neck, choking the life out of her. "He was going to kill you."

They both took a moment to realize what that meant. They could have both been killed by Bucky Barnes. Peggy looked aside, then nodded. "It was personal. They were trying to see what would come to reality."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to scare him into coming back."

"I know," she nodded, placing a hand on his leg. "Maybe… Maybe reminding him of his past might bring him back."

Steve stood up with a smile, now with a destination in mind. "It's worth a shot." He then started towards the door after pressing a kiss to her forehead, grabbing his coat on the way out.

"Steve?" Peggy interrupted his exit, frowning slightly. "I know you're still upset, but I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I never meant to hurt you."

He smiled sadly. "We'll talk about it later. Get some sleep."

"If you insist. Stay safe."

He nodded. "Of course."

There were many things that Steve thought about when he thought about his childhood. He remembered the tiny apartment he lived in with his mother before she died, the brick walls and confined space somehow providing comfort, even when it seemed that there was a lack of space. Ironically enough, it was the amount of free space that would bring him to tears after his mother died.

It was there he decided to visit first. He never lived in luxury, in fact, he lived in part of Brooklyn that were considered to be dangerous, where no one dared to go unless they had no other option. The space was crowded and more people fit in those spaces than it probably should have, but it was his home. He climbed up the steel stairs to the second floor, which had been empty since he left. He stared at the door for a while, taking a deep breath. He then looked down to his left, spotting the brick where the key was typically hidden. He kicked the brick, the stepped back when the key was not there.

He walked to the door and held onto the handle, his suspicion growing as he turned the handle with ease, then walked inside. He went through the tiny rooms and search every crevice for any sign that anyone had been inside, and saw nothing. He took a deep breath and began walking to leave, when his eyes spotting something on the ground.

He reached down to pick up the small item. It was a small string, no longer than his thumb. He smiled and chuckled slightly, realizing its purpose. Someone wanted to see if anyone had been there, to assure that the house wasn't infiltrated. Steve placed the string back on the latch of the door, then walked out, shutting the door behind him. Perhaps he was on the right path.

He walked down the streets of Brooklyn, walking down the uppermost section, looking out to New York City. He stopped at a section of the street where there were no buildings and looked out at the city, thinking back to the days where this was his home.

_"You little rascals, get back here!"_

_Steve ran with all of the force he could, still trailing far behind his best friend, even though his friend was carrying the very thing that got them in trouble. "Buck, wait up!"_

_"Hurry up!" Bucky screamed back at him, turning into an alley unexpectedly. Steve followed him once he was able to keep some speed, though he felt the burning in his chest where he knew there would be a problem. He kept running until he couldn't see his friend anymore. He then stopped, looking around desperately. _

_He then felt a tug on the ankle of his pants, and as he looked down, he could see Bucky hiding in the entrance to someone's basement, where the street was slightly sunken in. "C'mon, get in here!" Steve listened, burying himself underneath the leaves just like Bucky had. _

_Through deep breaths and stifled coughing, Steve managed to take a deep breath. "Is she okay?"_

_Bucky smiled at his friend and first put a finger to his own lips, then looked down to his jacket and unzipped it, revealing the small dog. "She's a bit spooked, but I think she's gonna be just fine. We could get in loads of trouble for this, though."_

_Steve smiled as well. "He would have hurt her even more." He coughed. "We'll take much better care of her." He pet the dog's head. "My mom is gonna kill me."_

_"Your mom?" Bucky chuckled. "Mine is gonna ground me for weeks."_

_Steve grinned a toothy grin at his best friend. "It's worth it though, right?"_

_"Yeah, it is, pal," he smiled, then looked out. "I think the coast is clear. Let's take the long way home."_

_Steve nodded, then slowly climbed out onto the alley, walking towards the street. He then led the way to the end of the first street, just underneath the bridge. Bucky caught up easily, then walked ahead of him, heading north towards New York City. "Buck, where are you goin'?"_

_"C'mon," he waved his friend over, and once he did, Steve looked out where Bucky was looking._

_"It's the city," Steve looked over at his friend, then at the dog in his jacket. "Why are you looking out?"_

_"Don't want to take it for granted," he shrugged, then looked down at the dog. "Besides, I don't want to get in trouble just yet. We can go in a bit."_

_They both looked out at the city, exchanging toothy grins as they did so. _

Even now, he could think of the exact moments he stood with his friend beside him. He even visited once without him, after he fell, but now it was different. There was hope that he was around, and that things could go to how they should be.

He made his way back to the hospital, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge to get back to the city. Once he was there, he knocked twice on Peggy's door, then walked in and sat back down in his chair, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"And he returns," she smiled, forcing herself to sit up in the bed. "How was your search?"

Steve shrugged. "It was alright. A bit depressing. I didn't find him."

"Obviously," Peggy smiled, then nodded. "We'll keep looking."

He looked up at her with a slight frown. "What if he doesn't want to be found?"

She chuckled. "No one hiding ever wants to be found. We found him once. Perhaps he isn't hiding as much as you think."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "What if he isn't hiding from us?"

"What do you mean?"

He leaned forward in his seat. "When he talked to me, he kept saying that I was going to take him back. That I was one of them. Maybe we aren't the only ones looking for him."

"Who else would?"

He shrugged. "Who had him in the first place?"

Peggy looked to the side, thinking about it for a moment. "They said he was Russian. He isn't, so maybe he's Russian trained?"

"So we start with Russia?"

Peggy nodded. "Sounds like it."

Steve looked down at her, then pointed out the obvious. "Except you're in a hospital bed."

She looked down as well, then gave him a look. "But what if… What if I wasn't?"

"You mean if you were checked out?" He looked out, then smirked. "I'll see what I can do."

Minutes later, Steve walked through the doors, a wheelchair rolling in front of him. "Alright, Carter, your hospital days are over for now."

She smiled, chuckling softly. "You convinced them?"

"You were in recovery, anyway," he smirked. "As long as you're in my care and you're not active for a while, they said its fine."

Peggy blinked. "In your care?"

"You're stuck with me for a while." Steve raised an eyebrow. "Is that alright?"

She smiled sadly, then nodded, taking a deep breath. "That's more than alright."

"Good," he nodded, scooping her out of the hospital bed and setting her in the chair. "Why don't we get out of here, and tomorrow, we can work towards finding him?"

She turned her head to look at him as he began to make their way out of the hospital. "You're quite optimistic now."

"You were right," he grinned. "I wasn't focusing on the right thing. There's someone out there who needs my help."

"I'm glad," she chuckled, turning back to face the front. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thank you."

An hour later, and they were in her small apartment. He led her inside, then stopped in the front of the door. "Here you are."

Peggy smiled. "Home sweet home." She began to stand, but was soon lifted in the air. "I could have handled myself."

"The thing is, you don't have to," he smiled, then set her down on a couch. For a bit, he stayed still, an awkward moment passing between them. "So… I'll just come by in the morning – "

"Or you could just stay here like before," she interrupted, smiling softly. "I know things are… different, but if you'd like to stay, you're always welcome."

He shook his head as if to try and take his statement back. "No, I-I'd like that, I just… Well, I didn't want to assume…"

She shook her head as well. "I-I didn't know if you still wanted… I-If you still wanted… Us, considering what I… did."

"Peggy, I chose you," he knelt down in front of the couch, smiling sadly. "That's not going to change because there were a few bumps in the road. You made a mistake. It's okay. That part is over now."

Peggy stared at him for a while, and eventually blinked, tears slipping onto her cheeks. "You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear you say that."

He smiled at her, nodding slowly. "You should get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Do we now?" She questioned as lifted her up and walked towards her bedroom.

He set her down on her bed, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You'll see." He then walked towards the door, smiling back at her. "Goodnight, Peggy."

She nodded. "Goodnight, Steve."

He then fell back on the couch as he used to, exhaling loudly. Once he finally relaxed, he was able to fall asleep, and for the first time, he slept without a single interruption.

* * *

_**A/N: **I'm back! I'm so sorry for such a long wait. There's no excuse for it, so I won't try to excuse it. If anyone read the message that was previously posted on this story, I mentioned some things, but that is no longer important, because I'm here! Hopefully this makes up for that, but if it doesn't, there's more to come, and a fun new plot that many may already know (but has been tweaked a bit). Did you spot the differences in the chapters? They're small changes I've made, and most of them no one will notice, but they're there! It doesn't change the story much, but I wanted to fix some plot holes and some organizational flaws I've made. That's in the past now. I've got one more story to fix, and then I'm done. At least this story didn't get completely redone, like my other story, **The Trail's End**, which wasn't so lucky. Thanks to my beta, who talked me out of redoing this one as well. _

_In the flashback scene in this chapter, I was talking about a beautiful neighborhood called Brooklyn Heights, which is the streets that are right against the East River, where, if I had the funds, I would live in a heartbeat. His childhood home, I didn't have much information on, and what I had was based off of pictures and descriptions of a 1920's-1930's Brooklyn, but not the thriving parts. I visited Brooklyn during my hiatus, and I've never been more in love with a city in my life. In my opinion, it's much better than the city itself (and that's saying something, because I love New York City more than life). _

_Anyway, sorry for the wait, and hopefully, that won't need to happen again. Thank you all for sticking with me during the hiatus, but it's over now! Back to the story!_

_**Reviews:**_

_(If I don't respond to yours, I am so sorry! It's been a long time, and I've had trouble getting them all to come up for me. I still appreciate the time you spent sending me a review and thank you all for reviewing!)_

**_JuliaAurelia: _**_For some reason, I knew you'd like that one. ;) That chapter has been in the works for so long, and it actually makes me so happy to put that plot behind. I hate it when my OTP fights. The Bucky and Steve conversation wasn't originally going to happen, but he needed a push to get him to try and search for his best friend. I was going to have it like CA:TWS, where they fought, but I wanted to show that Bucky was still new to this, even though it's been a few years since he started. There's no way he could be trained perfectly in that time, or even that skilled. No, I don't think he's been wiped, but he's gotten himself in just as much trouble... ;) Peggy and Steve do need to have a long talk! Even now, there's a lot unsaid! I hate writing them fighting, so I hinted that there was a lot of animosity, but I only wrote some of it. They still have a lot to work out. Sorry it was such a late update, but here it is! :) Thank you! _

**_Hailey The Nerd: _**_I wouldn't say that just yet ;)_

**_red lighting: _**_Thank you so much! _

**_LaughingLadybug:_**_ Thank you! A bit late, but here is more! :)_

**_Zenna (part one): _**_Gosh, this was so long ago. ;-; Now I want to watch Agent Carter again. I might just do that. HERE IT IS, FINALLY!_

**_Hrse-Ridr1997: _**_Maybe not as soon as you'd like, but here it is! Apologies on being so late with my updates. It has really been a crazy few months! It's here now though! :)_

**_LiveLaughLoveSparkle: _**_I'm so glad you like it! I wanted to read a happy Steggy story as well, and seeing that there was none, I decided I'd just put my two cents in the ship, lol. Here you are! :)_

**_ElvenCompanion: _**_Thank you so much for reviewing! I actually read yours while I was in New York City, and by that night, I had the next few chapters planned out, so thank you so much! I haven't abandoned this yet! There's still so much to happen before I could even think about abandoning this. Thank you again! :)_

**_shadowhuntingdauntlessdemigod: _**_Poor Bucky, he doesn't trust anyone anymore. Thankfully, the damages done in two or so years is not as bad as the damage done in seventy years, so maybe he won't be as damaged and stubborn as he was in CA:TWS. We'll just have to wait and see ;) And maybe... neither? ;) Thank you for your review! :)_

**_fan of it all: _**_You're so sweet! Peggy came naturally to me, since I've been writing her for over four years now in various places, but Steve and everyone else? Absolutely not. It took watching all of the films with those characters in it for me to even get some of their habits, but I still have trouble with Steve and Howard. There's a few more characters coming in that I'm so scared of writing, so hopefully I keep with your kind statement! There's definitely going to be a Steggy wedding (or at least right now it's in the works) but you'll see about Steggy babies. ;) Thank you so much for your words and taking the time to review! :)_

**_Belle (aka Zenna part two): _**_WASN'T IT JUST THE BEST DAY? I'M TEARING UP THINKING ABOUT IT NOW LET'S DO IT AGAIN SOON BECAUSE IT WAS SO PERFECT._

**_Created to Write: _**_Thank you :) I know, it was so much work! :( My page was looking sloppy, and so I just tweaked it. I just completely redid one of my stories like I mentioned before, and I had to fix this one. There's still one more story that I have to fix, and then it's smooth sailing until I have to do that again (which is hopefully never). I've heard of that site before. Is it any easier than this one? I barely keep up with Archive of Our Own because it's a bit more complicated and I have no idea what I'm doing on there, haha. Here it is! :)_

**_Thank you all for sticking with me during the short break, and I hope this makes up for the wait! You guys are the best!_**

**_June x_**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Together_**

* * *

"Wake up, Agent!"

Peggy woke up in a panic, sitting up straight while her heart raced in her chest. For a moment, she thought she had somehow been transported back to the war, where there wasn't time for an extra five minutes of sleep. Her hand instinctively flew to her wound, a throbbing pain starting to pulse from the gunshot wound itself. She looked across the room to see Steve, then rolled her eyes and shook her head while breathing a sigh of relief. "Bloody hell, Steve. I thought the war was over."

Steve smiled warmly and sat at the end of her bed, handing her a cup of tea. "Hardly," he chuckled, shaking his head. "How'd you sleep?"

She took the cup of tea in her hands and took a sip of it. Upon tasting it, she first slightly grimaced at the taste, but seeing his hopeful expression, she smiled and nodded, then set it aside. "I would have undoubtedly slept better if I had slept longer," she answered, then glanced at the clock. Six o' clock. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake up, but failed miserably. "Why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep," he shrugged, running a hand through his coarse hair. It was clear that he hadn't even tried to rest with the circles under his eyes alone, but his slumped shoulders and constant yawning definitely helped prove it. "I figured I'd get a head start on the day."

Peggy furrowed her eyebrows. "That doesn't seem like a good idea," she thought aloud, shaking her head slowly. Between running into Bucky and then searching for him, she knew he barely slept. She, on the other hand, was getting more sleep than she had in the past. Her injury made her grow weary with just a small amount of work, and eventually, she would crash, and sleep peacefully, unlike before. She looked him over one more time before deciding not to mention his lack of sleep, and rather, focus on what he accomplished. "What did you find?"

He gave her a faint and tired smile, but it faded as he looked aside, trying to focus on the things he did while she slept. There was a cloud over his head that left parts of his head foggy, but he knew that was from lack of sleep. He simply shook it away, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes. "Nothing much, just some Russian transmissions."

Peggy slowly stood up, her hand on her abdomen. He reached out and placed a hand on her arm, helping her up, but she waved him off easily. She then grabbed the tea he made her and grabbed her silk robe, slowly putting it on. "Let's have a look then, shall we?" She held her hand out, allowing him to help her walk over to the kitchen, where there were a stack of papers and a radio set up, no doubt where he had spent his night. She looked down at her wound, hoping the pain would subside as the day went on.

He walked ahead of her and pulled out a chair for her, and as she sat, he ran to the other side of the table, grabbing a notepad with his rushed handwriting filling up the page. "I wrote down some of what they said," he informed her as she started reading.

Though there were a few things she couldn't decipher, she could, for the most part, understand the general idea. There was a mission, and from what she gathered, the Winter Soldier never returned to report the mission, though they spoke of 'the incident', no doubt referring to his interaction with Steve. They didn't know where he was, and as it turned out, they were as clueless as she was. Once she finished, she looked up at Steve, frowning slightly. "They know what happened."

He nodded, resting his head on his arm slightly. He looked as if at any given moment, he might fall asleep wherever he happened to be. "And if he has made his way back into their possession, they don't know it yet."

Peggy frowned. "Who is they? Did they hint at anything?"

Steve simply shrugged, stifling a yawn. "No. I have no idea."

She shook her head, standing up and walking to the kitchen slowly, so as to not irritate her injury. She then prepared him a cup of coffee, and once she was done, she set it in front of him, a concerned look on her face. "We ought to know who we are fighting before we start a war."

He was slightly taken back by the cup, but then started to sip at it, forcing himself to wake up to the best of his ability. "Finding Bucky is my main concern," he reminded her, giving her a slightly correcting expression.

She let out a sigh. "Whoever took him in the first place has done well to keep him from your sight for some time now," she replied, biting her lip. "Perhaps getting him back is in itself starting a war."

He shrugged once again. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

She nodded. "I agree, but I won't a war blindly," she raised an eyebrow at him, then reached over, placing her hand on his arm. "Steve, I want to help you in this, but you'll have to trust me more than you have had to before. I have faith that you can and will find him, but I know you, and I know that for your loved ones, you will do whatever it takes to save and protect them." She smiled slightly. "It is part of the reason why I fell in love with you, but it's also the reason why I insist that I focus on the environmental impact and our enemy while you focus on Bucky."

He nodded. It had been haunting his thoughts, of who would do such a thing to a person. He knew that he was focusing solely on one aspect of the whole problem, but it was his instinct to run to those he swore to protect. He would do it for any missing soldier, and he had already done it once for his best friend. He looked at the woman across the table, smiling warmly. "You'll hold the base?"

"It isn't like I can help in my physical state anyway," she reminded him.

He smiled at her with a shake of his head, almost as if he couldn't believe how she could make the better decisions, and after all, he was supposed to be a captain. "Alright," he sighed, looking over the notes he took. "Where do we even start?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "These are Russian transmissions, right?" She asked, then glanced over them when he nodded. "Why not start where these are based? There are some coordinates, and I'm sure you can find where this came from."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You want me to go to Russia?"

She nodded. "You won't be alone." She smirked. "Gather your team."

He shook his head slightly. "I don't think SHIELD – "

"I didn't mean SHIELD," she smirked.

* * *

A few short hours later, they walked down a heavily populated street in New York City, blending in with the canvas of thousands of different faces. This was important, especially considered who they were hiding from. In this case, it wasn't only their enemy, but they hid from their own allies as well. No one could know the details but those who were willing to put their lives down for their fellow man, which could happen at any moment. To the untrained eye, they looked like nothing more than a couple on a leisurely, despite Peggy's limp and reliance on Steve's strength to keep her walking at a normal pace.

She motioned to a small shop that seemed abandoned, but the both of them knew much better than that. Once they were inside, they made sure there was no way for anyone else to enter, then walked behind a counter, staring at a set of double doors.

"Are you sure about this?" Steve turned to look down at her, concerned laced in his expression. "I don't know how they'll react."

Peggy returned his distraught expression with a slight eye roll. "Of course," she nodded. "The Commandos, though they are… often unreasonable, are loyal to their graves towards their teammates." She rubbed her thumb across his forearm, smiling softly. "Perhaps it's time for them to know about Bucky anyway."

He nodded. "You're right. Let's do this." He took a deep breath and placed a hand on the door, pushing it open and walking into a large room, still set up as a war conference room owned by the SSR. Peggy slipped her arm from his grasp and let him go ahead of her and address his friends, working up the strength to walk on her own. Steve, of course, didn't approve of this action, but she shot him down with a single look. He eventually let her walk on her own, walking slightly ahead. "Hey fellas," Steve announced his presence into the room, walking towards a table crowded by soldiers.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in!" From across the room, Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan's voice boomed, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "If it isn't Captain Rogers!" He walked across to their former captain, and slowly took his hat off and curtsied, earning an unimpressed look from Steve. After giving the captain a toothy grin, he let out a bout of laughter and wrapped his arms around Steve, embracing him tightly.

Steve chuckled in return, trying his hardest to return the hug, though his arms were tightly pinned down by his fellow soldier. "Hey pal," he grinned, wrapping his arm over Dugan's shoulders.

"Say, where's that gal of yours?" Dum Dum asked, looking past Steve for some sign of the brunette.

She then came into sight, leaning against a railing as she attempted to catch up with Steve. "She's a bit behind, I'm afraid," she finally spoke up, waving to the group. Steve quickly moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her stand, walking to stand around the table with the rest of them.

"Peggy!" Dum Dum cried in excitement, his face lighting up upon seeing her. It dropped, however, as he started to notice her lack of strength. "What's with the limp?"

She glanced over at Steve for a moment, then forced a fake smile, nodding towards the group. "I took a few bullets," she explained vaguely, then immediately changed the subject. "Hello, boys." She looked over the group, her eyes catching a few unfamiliar faces. "I see you have new recruits."

The first of the two new recruits walked up to her wearing a solemn expression, though there was a slight twitch at the end of his lips, as if he was trying to conceal his smile. "The name is Pinky Pinkerton," he introduced himself, holding a hand out to first Peggy, then Steve. "I've heard stories of the two of you. Nice to finally meet you."

Peggy nodded politely and shook his hand, smirking slightly. "That's quite a name," she blinked, then nodded. "And you?"

The second man walked up and shook her hand a bit more enthusiastically, then Steve's after. "Happy Sam Sawyer," he introduced himself, then stepped back, grinning widely. "It's an honor to meet you both. I've read so much and heard so much about you two that I feel like I already know you-"

"If you could try not to scare them away just five seconds after meeting them, that would be much appreciated," James Montgomery Falsworth piped up, embracing the couple, then moving aside to allow the others to say their hellos.

Jacques Denier approached them, expressing his excitement in French, earning a small smirk from Peggy, but a confused look from Steve. "It is just like old times, no?" He patted Steve's shoulder abruptly with a mad smile, then turned and shook his hand as if it were in pain. Steve chose not to say anything, but he could hear Falsworth's sneering as he approached the rest of the team.

"You look radiant as always, Miss Carter," Falsworth attempted, smirking over at the brunette, as he did each time she joined the team. She gave him an unimpressed look, followed by a playful snigger in his direction. Steve gave him a warning glance as a joke, but the Englishman raised his arms in defeat regardless.

Jim Morita stood up from the table and walked over and crossed his arms across his chest, a smirk growing. "Although I hear it won't be Carter much longer."

Steve opened his mouth to give a comment in return, but Peggy beat him to it. "You heard correctly," she smirked, crossing her arms as well, as if to mimic his actions.

"Well, it's about damn time, Rogers!" Dum Dum spoke up, slapping a hand on his shoulder. "I was beginning to think you'd never pop the question! I was thinking about it myself."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "You're hardly my type, Timothy."

He rolled his eyes and walked over to Peggy, smirking wildly. "I don't think it would have worked between us, anyway, Miss Union Jack," he winked, then stepped away.

"Oh, for god's sake," Peggy groaned, then looked around the room. "Wait just a moment, where is Gabe?"

Falsworth grinned. "I'm afraid he couldn't make it as he is… otherwise engaged."

To this, she raised an eyebrow, giving the other men a confused glance. "Explain?"

"He and Mrs. Jones are expecting," Morita finally explained, sitting back down in his seat. "As much as he wanted to join the reunion, he knew just as well as we do that this isn't just about catching up."

Steve nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm afraid it isn't, though it's good to see you all," he nodded, then glanced down at Peggy quickly, before addressing the problem. "There's… been a few things revealed to us lately."

Peggy nodded, reaching over to hand the team a few manila files. "We've been tracking a Russian assassin called the Winter Soldier. Have any of you heard of him?"

Happy was the first to pipe up. "Pinky and I hear rumors about him all the time."

"They tell ghost stories about him," Pinky shook his head. "You guys don't actually think this guy exists, right? It's just a story people use to scare other soldiers."

"I wish that were true," Steve sighed, shaking his head. "We first saw him when I was captured and experimented on. We don't… We don't know who it was that took me, or what they did, but when they… used me, I had no idea what I was doing, and… I attacked Peggy and tried to kill her."

"What? Who would do that?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out," Peggy nodded, placing her hand on Steve's for comfort.

"There's more to it," Steve continued with a slight clench of his teeth. "The next time we saw him, it was worse. Peggy…" He glanced down at her and gave her a slightly apologetic look, then continued, "Peggy knew who he was and tried to warn me, but when she did, he shot her."

Dugan gave the two of them a concerned look. "Who is he?"

"Bucky Barnes." Steve looked at the ground for a moment, then looked around at the team, watching the shock in their faces.

"Impossible," Denier shook his head, refusing to believe what he was saying.

Falsworth rubbed his temple, shaking his head as well. "Perhaps it was a mistake of the eye."

Peggy shook her head, handing them the file she had kept hidden. "It was him. We didn't want to believe it either, but Steve spoke to him. Saw his face. The file explains some of it, and there are even portraits if are especially stubborn."

Steve looked at the file, refusing to make eye contact with any of the Commandos. "I guess whatever Hydra gave him when he was captured helped him survive somehow, and whoever found him…" He rubbed his eyes, perhaps out of tiredness, but also to hide the sadness. He then looked around, shaking his head. "He doesn't even know who I am. He doesn't know who he is. They took whoever he was out for their purposes and put something back in… A killer, an assassin… Not Bucky."

Peggy gave him a concerned look before looking at the team, taking a deep breath. "Before Steve could save him, he ran off, and we don't know where he could have gone or what trouble he's gotten himself into. All we know is that whoever did this to him, and whoever controlled him, they no longer have control of him. He could be anywhere, and he's on his own without any idea of who he is or where he belongs."

Morita ran a hand through his hair. "So we are going to find him?"

Steve shook his head. "It's not going to be easy. We don't even know if he wants to be found, much less what we'll find when we do eventually find him. We don't know who we're up against here."

"Right," Peggy nodded. "We don't know who our enemy is. We are walking in blind here."

"Well, maybe not completely blind."

The eight of them turned to the other side of the room, where an uninvited and rather late Howard Stark stood in the center of a now lit room, a smug smile on his face.

"Howard, what the hell are you doing here?" Peggy asked under her breath as he walked towards her and Steve, grabbing the dark-haired man by the arm and pulling him towards her.

Howard raised his arms in defense, still grinning. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone about your super-secret band of brothers goin' on here. I'm not here to shut this down, I'm here to help." He smiled.

Morita nodded. "It's beginning to sound like we could use an extra pair of hands. Nice to meet you, Mister Stark."

"Please, call me Howard. Mister Stark was my father," he grinned, then nodded, his expression growing solemn. "You boys must be the Howling Commandos. I have to say, I'm a fan."

"Howard Stark, a fan of a military elite combat unit?" Morita questioned, tilting a glass to his lips. "Seems unlikely."

Howard smirked and walked over to Peggy and Steve, then shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning on his heels. "I hear a lot of your stories," he informed them, then pivoted on his heels to look at Peggy. "What are you doing in the field again?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I hope you don't plan on convincing me out of this-"

"On the contrary," he shook his head. "I just want to know what I can do."

"As a director of SHIELD, I can't let you get involved –"

"That's not a problem." Howard gave the team a serious look, then nodded. "I didn't come here as Director Stark, I'm here as Howard Stark. I didn't know Bucky very well, but I'd like to say he was a friend. If you all are here to help him, so am I."

Peggy smiled slightly and nodded. "Thank you, Howard."

"Don't thank me yet," he raised his arms slightly, walking to sit next to Dum Dum. "What's the plan, Star Spangled Man?"

Steve ignored the nickname and looked to the entire team. "Every lead that we have brings us to Russia. The Winter Soldier is Russian-trained, and the transmissions about 'the asset' – which we believe refers to him – have been in Russian or a Russian coding. We've traced all of it back to a single location just outside of the Alps."

A slight groan came from half of the group, followed by a sigh from Falsworth. "So we are headed to Russia?"

The captain nodded. "Once we get there, we're going to divide into three groups. Two combat groups led by myself and Dugan, and a communications team led by Peggy." He glanced at Dum Dum to check for approval, and earned a slight nod. "My team will be looking for information, gathering intel on whatever we can find, and searching for Bucky. Dugan, your team will be defending the base and making sure it goes smoothly." He looked around at all of the faces, then looked to the ground with a slight frown. "We don't know what we're walking into here. I understand if anyone wants to leave."

The deafening silence was an answer enough.

Peggy took this moment to smile both at the team and Steve, then pulled out her gun, cocking it back.

"Alright boys. We're going to Russia."

_To be continued..._

* * *

_**A/N: **What's waiting for them in Russian, hm? I guess you'll just have to wait and see! _

_I know, it's a filler chapter, but you'll see why. :)_

_These next few chapters took years to write, but that has to do with the fact that there are **so **many characters in this one. Not only do I have to keep in mind Steve and Peggy, now there's a team worth of people to write correctly! Hopefully I've done the best of my ability, but all feedback is welcome! Tell me what you think!_

_**Review Responses:**_

_**Hailey The Nerd: **Yes ma'am! The first of many to come, hopefully all throughout this week!_

**_ElvenCompanion: _**_Oh, absolutely not! There is so much to come after this; The next few chapters lay the groundwork for the rest of the story! This is just the beginning! I'm sure it will come back, but hopefully not in a negative light! I know there was a slight pass at that in this chapter, and there are a few mentions of the dispute, and I know there's going to be problems based from that, but I think it'll just make them stronger. Here you are, hon! :)_

**_JuliaAurelia:_ **_Awe, I'm sorry you had such an exhausting day! I hope it provided some sort of relief to a long day. I'm glad you liked it! It was definitely a different chapter! They're gonna keep looking, no worries! :) _

**_fan of it all:_**_ You're so sweet! Well, here's the new characters! I feel like after these chapters, I'm never going to want to write more than two characters in a chapter, haha. I think I'm mostly scared of the newer characters and the more foreign characters, like Denier and Falsworth (though I always imagine Falsworth as an extroverted and slightly flirtatious and sarcastic version of Jarvis), but they weren't too bad! Hope you liked this one! :)_

**_Thank you all for reading and reviewing! _**

**_-June _**


End file.
